


Chicken Hero

by dakotasugar



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Gay, M/M, Self-Insert, Slow Build, actually im not sure how long this will take, im just gonna try my best not to copy the original story, stay tuned and find out!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28268733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dakotasugar/pseuds/dakotasugar
Summary: (male!reader x Link) Living in Kakariko Village a century after the transpiration of the great Calamity meant you were afforded a peaceful life. And while stability is nice, your lust for adventure meant an encounter with the hero Link had potential to bring much into your life.
Relationships: Link/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is gay self-insert. Just a warning.

“Just some goat butter, actually.”

“Are you positive you don’t need anything else?”

“I appreciate it, Trissa, really, but I just forgot some butter last time and I can’t go without it this evening.”

“Making something special?”

“You know it!”

“Well, that’ll just be 10 rupees, then.”

“Isn’t it 12?”

“Oh, please, I have to offer discounts for customers like you. Your loyalty is unmatched!”

_ Well, it’s not like there’s anywhere else to shop for this stuff _ . “Thanks, Trissa! You can count on me.”

“You’re always welcome, (m/n)!”

“Much appreciated...hey, I just thought, I’ve never seen any goats around here...where does goat butter come from?”

“Best not to ask questions you aren’t prepared to hear the answer to.”

“...What?...”

“Oops, I meant to say have a nice night!”

“Oh, uh, you too, I guess.” You snapped yourself out of the odd spell that conversation had just put you in and left Trissa’s general store. Stepping out into the commons of Kakariko Village, a cool evening breeze rustled your (h/c) hair. Lights were just starting to illuminate paths accented by blooming plants and lively waterways. As much as you yearned for a life beyond this village, you had to admit it really was gorgeous. Having lived here your whole life, it was fascinating to you how simultaneously it felt like you could map every inch of the village out from memory and like you discovered something you hadn’t noticed before every day. Kakariko was a confluence of visual and auditory stimulus that consistently produced a vibrant yet solemn atmosphere; the scenery was filled with life, but nothing ever felt chaotic. You were fortunate to have grown up in a relatively peaceful time. Stories told to you by elders about the great calamity which had scourged the land and disrupted or even destroyed everyone’s ways of life reminded you to be grateful for calmness. You had to keep all this in mind often because, frankly, you craved some excitement. Safety was a privilege, and one you appreciated, but perhaps your youth drove you to want something more. Perhaps you were a naturally risk-inclined person. Whatever the case, you thought you would enjoy an adventure.

Your small house did little to alleviate these yearnings. Barely bigger than one room, you had a wall dedicated to being a kitchen, a wall dedicated to being a bedroom, and two walls dedicated to being entrances (or exits, if you like). You lived alone, like a couple people your age you knew. That was alright considering the limited space you had. Obviously you’d want a companion at some point, but it wasn’t a constantly occupying thought. Again, there weren’t even many options in Kakariko Village. You’d likely have to go out and find someone if you wanted a real shot. 

Unfortunately, one cannot spend all of one’s time pondering. And while you were here in Kakariko, you were going to try and make the most of it. Naturally, this included taking advantage of the local cuisine as often as you could. You had a pumpkin stew planned for this evening; one of your specialties, if you were in a bragging mood. That was what you needed the goat butter for. You realized you had forgotten some last time you were at Trissa’s, and you thought for a second about maybe just foregoing pumpkin stew tonight and waiting until you could make stopping by the store more efficient, but, dang it, you were excited for pumpkin stew! It had always been difficult for you to have your expectations or hopes let down. And when your victories in life typically came in the form of stew, you really had to make the most of them. 

As you thought about all this, the stew had come to a low simmer and things were looking about ready. You tested a small spoonful and knew your mastery of the culinary arts had not betrayed you this time. You poured a bowl, grabbed a spoon, and sat at your small, square, wooden table. For you, dinnertime was a purely relaxing experience. It was a ritual. You took pride in your rituals. They gave you some structure and added a little flavor to your life in a droll way. 

It was picturesque, really. A warm meal, a setting sun, a small cottage—you had to admit, you were like a postcard. 

So call it ironic, or call it coincidental, or just call it funny, but you enjoyed your idyllic scene for only a few seconds before your door slammed open. The force with which the creaky little wooden thing was flung on its hinges shook your entire house. Just as quickly as the door had opened did a figure stomp in (entirely uninvited, by the way) and frantically shut the door behind them, pinning it closed with their back, trying to catch their breath. Forceful thumps on the door could be heard as the figure continued pressing their weight against the poor door. 

During all this, you just sat, motionless, a spoonful of stew halfway to your mouth. You finally got a look at the figure as they stood against the door, a panicked expression on their face as they huffed and puffed in an attempt to regain stamina. It was a boy, probably about your age. A Hylian, no doubt. Blue tunic; rustled, brown pants; multiple belts holding various gear strapped around his body, and small, not severe marks and cuts dotting his body gave the intruder a signature look. Of course, an odd-looking intruder is an intruder nonetheless, and you decided now would be a good time to quit staring at him and inquire into the reasoning behind his unexpected arrival.

“Wh-”

“I CAN EXPLAIN!” The boy shouted before you could begin your questioning. “Chicken attack!...I tripped…*breath*...over one chicken!...Then...lots of chickens!...”

“Cuccos?” Was all you could manage.

“What? Birds, cuccos, whatever! They’re vicious!”

You snorted a little, one part at this newcomer’s unfamiliarity with the complexities of cuccos, and another part for the overwhelming fear on his face over some barely flight-capable birds.

“Keep that door shut.”

The boy nodded.

“They should give up eventually.” As you said this, the intermittent thumps started to die down until, finally, they ceased altogether.

The home invader let out a long breath after you let your guard down.

“Thank goodness that’s over. And thank you for the shelter! I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been conveniently in the way of my sprint away from those chickens!

“Cuccos.”

“Whatever. Oh, sorry for not knocking, it was a little urgent.”

“I gathered.”

“Well, sorry to interrupt you! Again, I appreciate you happening to live here. I’ll just see myself out the way I came in. Maybe with a little less enthusiasm, this time.”

“Wait!” Finally you got a word in that caught his attention. There was no way you were going to let this guy just walk away. “Who are you?”

“Who am I?”

“That is what I just asked, yes.”

He chuckled a little. “The name’s Link. Yes, like the name of the old heroes. Yes, I am that new hero. Yes, we can get on with it now.”

You decided to play dumb. “Link? That’s an odd name. What do you mean, heroes?”

Link looked at you, dumbstruck, until his expression slowly morphed into slyness. “You’re pulling my leg.” You shook your head.

“Well, I don’t have all evening to explain everything. In fact, I haven’t eaten in almost 3 hours! I’m starving. So, if you’ll please excuse me…” Link sniffed the air. Then he sniffed again, starting to turn back away from the door. You looked at Link and then toward your stew. Yes, this was your chance.

“Oh, you probably smell the pumpkin stew. Hey, how about we cut a deal? You tell me a little more about yourself, and I’ll share with you some of my stew.”

Link couldn’t say no. You pulled up a chair for him and poured another bowl. “Fortunately I always make more than enough for myself...for some reason...you know, now that I think about it, I don’t know why I do that. Like, wouldn’t it be more efficient to just make one serving? Well, I guess it’s good news today, considering—” You caught a glance of Link, who was directing none of his attention toward you and all of it toward the bowl of food in your hand.

“Oh, right, sorry. I guess I got carried away.” The two of you started to enjoy the meal together. Link was a voracious eater, to say the least.

“Oh, my God.”

“What? Is something wrong?”

“No, this is incredible? What’s in this?”

You instantly blushed and knew you were on the verge of saying something stupid, like it was made with love or something. Miraculously, you settled on, “I can’t give away my secret!”

“But I need to finish my recipe book!”

“Looks like you’ll have to get it somewhere else!”

Link pouted, but only for a brief moment, as he soon lost himself in the stew once more. In only five minutes, his bowl was drained and you had taken just a few bites. Link looked a little discomforted, and he tried to stifle a burp that escaped anyway. “...Excuse me…” he said sheepishly.

You laughed, “Maybe eat a little slower next time?”

“You should take it as a compliment.”

“I suppose you’re right...hey, you still have to uphold your end of the bargain.”

Link leaned back in his chair and folded his hands. “Ask anything you’d like to know.”

What a great prompt! Although, to be honest, you wish you had more time to think. Considering you were still trying to play it off like you were completely clueless, you knew you had to ask something pretty basic.

“Well, let’s start with all this hero stuff. What did you mean when you said you’re a ‘hero’?”

Link took a deep breath. His slight smirk washed away as he lost himself in thought. He seemed to be recounting something, or at least trying to. “Well, here’s the thing. You’re probably going to think this is pretty funny, but, I may or may not actually remember almost nothing about me being a hero.”

“...huh?”

“You see, one hundred years ago blah blah calamity blah blah shrine of resurrection blah blah Zelda blah blah lost all memory blah blah.” Link’s story went way over your head. This was completely ridiculous. You had never heard of anyone who had lived a life similar to the one Link had claimed to. Of course, faking the depth of your knowledge had gotten you this far, so you decided to keep it up.

“Hmm...I see.”

“Really?”

“...Yes…” You weren’t a great liar.

“Well, OK, then. I expected another question along the lines of ‘What’s your mission now?’” You looked at Link expectantly. “...To which I would reply, ‘Well, I’ve learned so far that Zelda is the princess and she is in trouble at the castle. I need to quell an evil force which has corrupted four Divine Beasts in four corners of Hyrule. I should also visit twelve spots scattered through Hyrule marked by my Sheikah Slate to see if they can’t help me recollect some of my memories.’” This, you could follow a little easier.

“Wow.”

“Yeah…”

“How’d you find all this out?”

“Lady Impa filled me in on most of it.”

“Makes sense...I’m...I’m sorry.”

“Huh? Sorry for what?”

“I just mean, it must be tough. To wake up 100 years in the future, and have all this expected of you, meanwhile you barely have any clue who you are.”

Link looked at you in a way he had not up to this point. “Wait, you get it, don’t you?” He said, his pace quickening as he asked the question.

“Um, I guess? I don’t know, that seems like the obvious first thought anyone would have after hearing your story.”

“Believe me, it isn’t. Up to this point, it’s just been a barrage of new information and new expectations. Frankly, it’s a little imposing. But no one’s stopped to acknowledge that, so I feel compelled just to accept it all.”

“Not to fan the flames, but...I mean, you are the hero, right? You can do it, even if it’s tough.”

“That’s apparently what I’ve always been told. But that doesn’t change the fact that it  _ is _ tough. I’ll do what I need to to help this world, but, you know,” Link looked stuck. “You know, don’t tell anyone, but I am a little nervous.”

You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “Hey, don’t laugh!”

“No, I’m not laughing at you! Honest! I just think it’s funny that you would feel the need to hide it. I mean, I get it, but it’s a shame you should feel that way. Look, I have no idea what struggles you’ll have to bear, but I remember stories of heroes from when I was a kid. And the hero always triumphs. One day, they’ll tell stories about you, and your triumph. They’ll gawk at your adversaries and relish in the glory you emanate! Okay, that was a little wordy, but they will!”

Link beamed. “Huh. Well, I won’t fulfill my destiny for the purpose of having stories told about me in the future. But I do like the sound of it.”

You smiled back at him. “Hey, while you’re at it, maybe you could sneak me into one of those stories.”

“Ah, yes, the tale of the hero and the boy whose property rights he infringed so as to avoid a wave of deadly chickens.”

You almost spat out some soup laughing. “I was thinking more, the tale of the hero and the boy who instilled in the hero confidence when he needed it, but that works too, I guess.”

You both shared a laugh at this, and, once that died down, you kind of just sat there in content silence. Link would need to be on his way, and you had gotten what you wanted. Fortunately, you could tell you’d see him again soon. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for the inevitable continuity errors

It had been around two weeks since your encounter with Link. You thought about him more often than you had anticipated, but you guessed it was just a result of nothing exciting happening to you in the meantime. It made you a little sad thinking how little went on in your life, but, at the same time, now you had another person’s exciting life to judge it by.  _ Imagine traveling across Hyrule, no restrictions, a harrowing mission _ , you thought. The more you thought about that life so contrary to your own, the more you felt connected to Link’s adventure...even though you had seen him only once for barely an evening. You couldn’t really explain it.

Even through two weeks with no sign of him, you still had a feeling you’d be seeing him again soon. The way you saw it, there’s no way he would visit somewhere as significant as Kakariko once. So, if you just stayed put, he would turn up eventually. You refrained from asking townsfolk if they had seen him, partly out of fear of seeming suspicious and partly because you didn’t want to know if you had missed him. You weren’t sure why that bothered you, though. Whatever. You assumed you just needed something to fixate on in your boring life.

Tonight, unfortunately, it seemed your plan of staying in Kakariko as much as possible would have to be skipped. To keep your living situation afloat and spend your life doing something at least a little worthwhile, you worked as a stable hand at the Dueling Peaks Stable just south of the village. It wasn’t teeming with adventure, of course, but you got to spend time with horses, and how could you complain about that? Tasseren, the owner, had seen the way you were drawn to and treated the horses and been nice enough to offer you a job tending to them, although you suspected he didn’t really need the help. You weren’t one to turn down an offer like that, so Dueling Peaks Stable became a regular spot for you. 

“Have you seen the weather, (m/n)?” You heard Tasseren’s voice from the entrance of the stable call to you as you were organizing some bridles. Although the question seemed a bit silly to you, you realized you actually hadn't been paying any attention to the sky. Looking up, you saw dark storm clouds rolling in. Almost on command, a sharp bolt of lightning struck down—fortunately a few miles away—soon accompanied by a cacophonous burst of thunder.

“I would’ve warned you sooner, but things looked fine until just a few minutes ago.”

You mulled over what to do. The walk back to Kakariko was around an hour, and there was no way you could dodge this storm in that time—even on horseback. You had stayed at the stable overnight before and knew Tasseren would be fine with it, so you opted to ask.

“It is pretty intimidating...could I just stay here tonight?” You asked, finishing up with the bridles.

Tasseren smiled and said, “You’re always welcome.”

Once you were done tidying up, you could feel the first few scattered raindrops. You knew this storm wouldn’t waste anytime building up, so you hurried inside. Bringing in a pack which held some gear you always kept on you, you situated yourself by the nearest bed. You emptied some stuff out of your pack, including a health potion you had bought from Trissa a while ago. 

“Is that a health potion?” asked Tasseren. Not in a mocking way or anything, he sounded genuinely curious but, at the same time, you could tell it struck him as odd.

“Oh, uh, yeah, it is...I keep it with me...you can never be too prepared!” Tasseren just nodded in response. You were too embarrassed to admit you were quite often itching for a chance to use it—you really had no reason to carry it around traveling in broad daylight. Plus, you could defend yourself fine if need be. You were an ace with the dagger you carried in that same pack. You were careful not to let the knife spill out of it while unpacking the things you needed right now, though. That would just be bad optics.

Sudden thunder filled the air with sound, causing you to jump. Rain was pouring down in heavy sheets now, and impromptu puddles and streams were starting to form outside the stable. Tasseren had been thoughtful enough recently to add drapes to the horses’ living spaces that were surprisingly waterproof. You had to remind yourself of that; you wouldn’t want to leave them exposed to the elements out there.

The stable was never bustling, but it usually had occupants each night. Tonight was, in fact, above average. And as the storm picked up pace, more folks poured in. By the time the weather was in full swing, the stable was the most crowded you had ever seen it. You started counting and realized there were just enough beds for everyone in here. Travelers were conversing and you started to feel a little outcast. You weren’t one to pick up conversations with strangers, but you might have to for fear of said strangers forming an undesirable opinion of you. Because that would bother you, for some reason. 

But, before you could embarrass yourself, you began to hear a very faint scream, pained and constant. Then the scream got louder. And louder. Whatever was producing it was headed the direction of the stable. You peeked outside to see if you could spot whoever was vocalizing to such an extent. And there you saw him. Link! Not as his best, mind you. Sprinting toward you, soaked, obviously in distress, Link barreled full speed toward the stable. You only barely got out of the way in time before he slid in. The poor hero had too much momentum as he lost traction with the ground and fell directly on his face. The thump with which he landed startled the crowd, but fortunately he managed to not draw too much attention. Everyone else was wrapped up enough in their conversations so that only you were the one who had really seen the hilarious tragedy that just transpired before you.

Link just lay there for a few moments while you stared at him. He was a bit beat up. The weather hadn’t done him any favors, his hair was a mess, and his clothes were ripped in various places. He also looked...vaguely scorched...for some reason.

“L-...Link?”

Link picked just his head up off the ground getting a look at you. He said nothing.

“Link? Can...can you hear me?”

Link nodded.

“Are you...what...what happened to you?”

Link swallowed. “Metal...attracts...lightning…” Link articulated.

“Y-...yeah, yeah it does...Wait, oh, my God, did you get struck by lightning?”

Link gave you a look.

“Right, dumb question. Well, you look alive to me...at least...sorry...are you okay?”

“I am actually...in furious pain.”

“Oh, sorry, um, would you, uhh,” you fumbled your words as you started to dig around in your pack for your health potion. “Would this help?” You asked as you showed Link the bottle.

Link glared at you like a dog waiting for food. “Yes.” He said slowly.

“Oh, okay, well, you can have it, here you go.” You didn’t really know what to do, Link still hadn’t moved any part of his body but his head. You just placed it by his hand. Link looked first toward the bottle, then at you with a mixture of helplessness and pleading.

You protested, knowing what he meant. “Oh, come on, you can move your hand. I’m not gonna—” Link started coughing violently. You suspected he was faking it but you were not about to be responsible for the betrayal of prophecy by allowing the hero to die on the floor after turning himself into a human lightning rod.

“Ok, ok! Hold still.” You popped open the bottle and grabbed Link’s chin. You noticed now how pretty his eyes were. Like, wow, had anyone told him his eyes were this pretty? Right, he’s dying. You neared the bottle to Link’s mouth as he pursed his lips. You tipped it and he started drinking. Regrettably, Link closed his eyes as he did, but now you could get an even better look at him. I mean, yeah, his features looked like they had been shaped by a Goddess. They probably had been, actually. But he was the hero! Of course he’s hot!

Once Link finished. you pulled the bottle back from his mouth and your hand away from his chin. Link rolled his neck and finally pushed himself up off the ground. You both stood up, Link with a demonstrable vigor.

“Wow, just like new!” Link seemed amazed. Well, potions were kind of amazing, especially if you had lost all memories of them.

“Thank you so much for your help!”

“Oh, uh, don’t mention it.” It felt weird accepting thanks from the person rescuing the entire world.

“Hey, wait a second, I know you, don’t I? Yeah, you’re the chicken guy!”

“And you’re the chicken hero.” You retorted, saddened by Link not remembering your name.

“Please do not call me that.”

“What else should I call you?”

“Link, duh.”

“Oh, then you can call me…” you trailed off, indicating to Link to finish your sentence with your name.

Link was blank. “Right. You. I’ll call you...Mmmmmarcus?”

You stared at Link in disappointment.

“Ah, I’m just messing with you, Of course I remember you, (m/n)! You made me literally the best meal I can remember.”

Your heart swelled with joy and a little bit of pride. The hero remembered you! And his opinion of you was favorable! “Well, if your memories are limited, I’m glad I could give you a good one.”

Link smiled wide, eyes shut.

“Hey, speaking of memories, how is your quest going?”

“I have in fact recovered a memory!”

_ Two weeks for one memory? _ “Oh, congrats! What was it about?”

“Um, well, there were, like, four other people there...I was with Zelda...We were returning from a mountain, I think? And Zelda had failed at something...and then the whole world was shaking, and this obnoxious bird guy flew up and said that the Calamity was here. And, uhh, people were...upset? I think?”

“Doesn’t exactly sound recovered to me.”

“Look, it’s one minute from, like, 18 years of potential memories. It’s not going to be coherent just yet.”

“Better than nothing, I suppose,” was all you responded with. Link pouted and huffed out his nose. He perked back up after a moment, though.

“Hey, that’s not all, I’ve also got this sick new ability!”  
“Oh, really? What’s it do?”

“Whenever I die, I get brought back to life stronger than usual!”

You looked at Link, unable to believe him.

“That’s...impossible.”

“I know! But I’ve come back from death multiple times. Some fish lady gave it to me after I freed this giant elephant Divine Beast from one of Ganon’s minions.”

“That’s...also impossible.”

“I KNOW! Isn’t it awesome?...Oh, yeah, I guess I also got a memory or two from the fish lady. Her name was Mipha. I should probably call her that. Apparently we used to hang out all the time a hundred years ago. My memories are mostly of her healing me...I guess that explains the ability. We seemed close. I-...I guess I freed her spirit...she apparently perished in the Calamity…” Link’s face turned despondent.

“Wow...I’m...I’m sorry you have to learn all this in this way.”

Link’s face changed to a solemn smile. “Thanks...really, thanks for the sympathy...it’s for the best, I guess.”

“Right...and I know you can handle it. Regaining your memories will push you mentally, but it has to be done.”

Link nodded once, lightly. You both just stood there a second.

“That’s a nifty ability, though.” Link’s face lit back up as you said this. “Gotta come in handy often. Don’t go putting yourself in danger just because you can, though.” Link started to wander in a small radius around the stable, looking around.

“Oh, no worries, dying still hurts like crazy.” You laughed at this.

“Well, good, I guess. Not that you’re dying. But good you won’t die...more...now. You know what I mean.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah...wait, I just thought...would you have been totally fine, just then? I mean, I wouldn’t let you die, but would I have just had to like, kick you to activate that ability?”

` Link pressed his lips together and stared away from you.

“Great. You owe me a health potion.”

“Oh, no problem. I thought you were gonna be more mad about…” Link’s voice trailed off.

You smiled slyly. “What, about feeding you like a baby?”

“Yeah, that.”

“No, I actually relish in consistently coming to the chicken hero’s rescue.”

“I would’ve been fine!...And don’t call me that.”

“Yeah, yeah, you still would’ve needed someone to kick you, though. I really am the hero’s hero.”

“Fine, you win. Thanks, again. And for talking to me! So few people just talk to me. They all want something. Like, does anyone know how to get things for themselves?”

_ You mean besides struck by lightning?  _ “A lot of people need a lot of things in this land. You’re out and about, so why not?”

“Because I also have to save the world!”

“Ok, Mr. Punctual.”

“Freeing an ancient mechanical elephant is a lot to get done in two weeks!”

“I concede, I could not have done that.”

Link looked surprisingly distressed when you said this.

“What’s wrong?” You asked.

“Well, I feel like you’re only just saying that.” Link took a seat on the bed you had placed your pack by.

“No, I’m positive I couldn’t. Have you seen me?”

“No, not because of that...I mean I was the only one allowed inside. Like, only the chosen one can enter these things. And I’ve gotten over the whole ‘why me?’ debacle, but still, if all this is laid out in front of me, it kind of feels like I’m just running the lines of destiny.”

You sat next to Link. You weren’t sure how to respond, but gave it your best shot anyway. “Well, being the hero means you’re gonna have a pretty spelt out destiny. But you’re still you. And you do things in your own way. And, like we just saw, it’s not like things are set in stone in terms of you making it through everything...uhh...alive.”

Link, despite you insinuating that he could die at any moment, looked at you and smiled, his eyes glistening a little bit, Or, at least, you thought they were.

“Thanks...again...you’re right. You know, one good thing about being the hero is meeting such interesting people, like you.”

Interesting! You would never have called yourself interesting. That’s a win.

“And a good thing about being an NPC in a village is getting to meet the hero.”

“Aww...wait, what’s an NPC?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Gotcha…” Another silence.

“So...where were you headed when the storm interrupted you?”

“Actually, back to Kakariko Village, funnily enough.”

“Oh, wow. Hey, maybe I can accompany you back in the morning. This storm doesn’t look like it’ll let up any time soon.”

Link thought for a second. “I hadn’t planned to stay here...I’m usually fine travelling at night. But, combined with the storm…”

“We can’t have you cooking yourself out there.”

“I learned my lesson! No metal! But, ehh, you’re right, I should stick around. And if we’re both headed the same direction, it could be nice to have some company. Just don’t slow me down.”

You beamed. “No worries, compadre! I know the route like the back of my hand.”

As your conversation wrapped up, it seemed like others’ were as well. Tasseren waltzed over to the two of you, likely looking to get to know the stranger who had made himself comfy on one of his beds.

“Greetings! I see (m/n) has already made your acquaintance. Apologies for not introducing myself sooner. The name’s Tasseren, but you can call me Tass if you like. Welcome to the Dueling Peaks Stable! I see you’ve already made yourself at home. I trust you’ll be staying with us tonight?” Tasseren certainly was a businessman. Although running a stable like a business worked, it didn’t really fit your idea of the aesthetic of a stable.

Link looked at you. “Yeah, I will be. How much is it?”

“Well, one night is usually 20 rupees. But, for an extra special bargain, I can offer—”

“I’ll take the regular bed,” Link said dismissively. 

“But, sir, for just a small increase in price can you enjoy—”

“Tass, my man, I have spent the last 3 nights sleeping in the literal dirt. I can handle a regular bed.”

Tasseren the businessman responded tacitly, “As you wish, “ accepting Link’s red rupee.

“Hey, uhh, Tass, aren’t you forgetting something?” You piped up, trying to get him to acknowledge the lack of enough beds.

Tasseren just looked at you with an inquisitive smile. “You closed the horses’ drapes, right?” You nodded. Tass continued, “Then, why, no, I don’t think I’m forgetting anything...”

You decided against pushing things further. That might lead to an awkward conversation and God forbid an awkward conversation grace this so far pretty good evening.

“Y’know what, nevermind.”

Tasseren kept his smile, gave a small dose of his hearty laugh, and marched off.

“What was that about?” Link asked.

_ This works, I guess _ . “Ok, hero, how are you with math?”

“Better than you think, but worse than I should be.”

“How many beds in this stable?”

Link counted by twos. “Sixteen.”

“And how many occupants do there appear to be?”

Link counted by ones this time. “...Seventeen.”

“Yeah, that’s all...it’s alright, kinda glad Tasseren didn’t notice. He might’ve thrown a fit. Not about someone not having a place to sleep, mind you. Just about how the stable is too small and he needs to expand.”

“I see.”

“And no worries, I can fix it. I’ll just sleep on the floor.”

“Oh, come on.”

You looked at Link, realllllllly pretending to be genuinely unsure what he meant by that.

“The bed is plenty big for the two of us, we can share.”

You looked at Link, harnessing your acting chops. “Don’t be silly, you’re the paying customer.”

“And you’re my friend. And I kinda owe you. Everyone knows where this is headed.”

“...Everyone?”

“Everyone. So let’s just skip the formalities.”

Your heart started beating faster. Link was so forthcoming, it just wasn’t something you were used to. But you weren’t going to let him get any clue of that, so you just accepted his kind invitation. 

It was pretty late by this point, and the terseness of Link’s words let you know he was getting tired. Another predictable quality of Link was how fast he could get to sleep. In just a few minutes, he was out. Good news, that stopped you from doing or saying anything stupid.

With the hero asleep, you could finally get a good look at him once again. Not that you were aching for a good look at him, but, well, you could. And who would pass up that opportunity.

His chest slowly rose and fell with each somber breath, the weight of the world on his not-too-broad shoulders. His face still glowed with life, even asleep. You couldn’t help but admire him. Who doesn’t admire the hero? You thanked the stars for introducing him into your life, and letting you guys get to be friends. The more you thought about it, the more you really hoped you would get to spend more time with him. And for once, you weren’t so focused on the idea of going on an adventure—more so were you interested in going on an adventure specifically with Link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dueling peaks stable has 4 beds, not 16. i changed it to 16 to make it more believable. also, just assume rensa (tasseren's twin) doesn't exist or is away in this version or maybe you replaced him idk
> 
> it feels weird writing "you laughed at this" like im patting myself on the back. hopefully you can at least imagine yourself laughing at some of the things i write.


	3. Chapter 3

Not to your surprise, you woke up before Link. In fact, you weren’t sure how anyone in that stable had managed to get a wink of sleep with Captain Snoring right next to you. Sitting up, you noticed Tasseren looked like he had been up for hours already. He always struck you as an early-riser; the guy made sure he was busy and used every minute of his day.

Your initial thought was to wake up Link in some devious way, but you barely restrained yourself, instead opting to just look at him. You just felt the urge to look at him a lot. Granted, he was not at his best right now. He was sprawled across the bed, mouth agape, hair in tangles. You were a good sleeper when you had to be, fortunately, and any time shared with the hero—even if you were both unconscious—was good time.

You pulled your gaze away from Link and swung your legs over the side of the bed. Standing yourself up, you reached your arms far above your head, felt your muscles strain in a deep stretch, then, at the last moment, let them relax, winding your arms back down. There was a lot to be said for a simple stretch in the morning. 

“Mm...muh…” You heard mumbles escaping from the hero. He talks in his sleep. Hm. You got a bit closer to listen.

“Ermmrr…” Nothing intelligible, but his facial features started twitching a little, like he was attempting to manifest, from beyond the realm of consciousness, an iota of meaning. He must be dreaming deeply.

“Mehhrr…(m/n)...” Did you hear that right? Did he just say your name? 

“L-...Link?” You felt compelled to respond, although you spoke softly for suspicion he was still asleep. 

Link gave no answer. His body adjusted itself and the hero went right on back to snoring. You smiled as you furrowed your eyebrows.  _ Wonder what’s going on his head. _

While you would have loved to continue staring at Link’s now expressionless face, you had better things to do before he finally pulled himself out of bed.  _ And he wanted to travel at night...Actually, I wonder how often he sleeps? _

You kept to yourself as you went to go check on the horses. Most folks were awake by now, and many were seeing themselves out. There was no point in sticking around for them, you supposed.

You pulled aside the drapes shielding the horses from the rain yesterday, and the sunlight today. A few horses puttered at the new light, the others looked at you expectantly. 

“Hey, guys.” You said, kind of quietly. You thought it was normal to talk to horses, but, at the same time, you also didn’t want to get caught talking to horses. You reached into your bag, which you had brought with you outside, and pulled an apple out for each of them. They accepted the treats gratefully, and you rubbed their snouts in affection. You wondered what it would like to be a horse. Maybe not a horse in a stable, but one out and about, in the wild. Brought into the world, by the world, for the world. Able to go anywhere with all your horse pals. Maybe you were meant to be a horse. On second thought, then you’d have to do horse things and, you know, be a horse. You preferred human being things. Maybe human’s not such a bad thing to be.

After carefully tending to the animals, you went back in to see if Link had awoken yet. Amazingly, the hero was up and about, like he hadn’t been utterly knocked out just half an hour ago. His hair was back to those kempt, golden locks you knew. 

“(m/n)! There you are!” Link was happy to see you.

“And there you are, sleepyhead.”

Link pouted and said, “A hero needs his rest, you know. I went through a lot yesterday.” Link punched you lightly on the shoulder.

“Understandable. Wouldn’t want you going at Ganon less than 100%.”

“Psshh, yeah.” Link agreed, but you could tell something was off. You didn’t want to press it, though. Maybe later.

“Well, that being said, can’t stick around here too long, right? You want to head off?”

Link strapped his many belts around him. He seemed to move as effortlessly encumbered by so much gear as when he wasn’t. Now that was a talent. “You betcha!”

“Great!” You directed your attention to Tasseren. “Catch ya later, Tass.”

Tasseren looked up from behind his desk. “Yes, good work, (m/n)! See you in due time!”

You nodded. “Due time,” he had said, which you knew to mean a couple days. But, in truth, you kind of hoped that wouldn’t be the case. A bit of frivolous hope it was, as you wanted something kind of ridiculous. Frankly put, you wanted to adventure with the hero. You always wanted adventure. Here, it felt like the Goddesses put Link in your life to fulfill that wish. But, to that effect, you didn’t really know what to do. You figured you were just going to ask him but, knowing how Link feels about his mission, you knew your prospects weren’t great. It wasn’t that you were nervous, you just kind of felt like you knew the answer already. But not asking would be a waste, so you needed to try. For now, though, maybe you could prove yourself on the peaceful, totally safe, completely-lacking-in-ways-to-prove-yourself walk to Kakariko.

As you and Link started off, you weren’t sure what to expect. With him being so talkative, you partly hoped he would kick off a conversation. You also had never seen him actually questing before; you’d only seen him conversing, asleep, or in mortal danger. But, luckily, he didn’t seem any different out here than anytime else. He did move fast, like he had warned, but you were young, you could—and needed to—keep up.

The silence was wearing on you, so you broke it. “I never asked, what’re you headed back to Kakariko Village for?”

Link looked back at you, keeping his pace, thought for a moment, and said, “I want some advice from Lady Impa...plus I’d like to give her an update.” Link turned his attention back to the path.

“Advice on…?”

Link slowed his pace this time before answering. You weren’t sure if you should keep asking questions, but what harm could it do? “...Advice on this whole ‘Lost Memories’ thing. I...I guess I’m just not sure what to do. I mean, you remember, the first one was such a letdown, I just don’t see how the rest could help, either.”

You tried to think about a response tactically. You still had an end goal for this conversation of convincing Link to take you with him. That being said, you figured you could just encourage him right now, although that may not accomplish too much directly toward your desired end. You could pretend to know more about history than you do. That would fall flat in a few moments; you never really learned the stories of the Champions or the Calamity, only what you needed to to convince your educators you had a sufficient grasp. You weren’t sure what else to go with, and you still had time left in the walk, so you just opted for encouragement. “You mentioned...Lady Impa said Zelda left spots in that...slate...thingy,” you struggled. “Sheikah Slate.” Link aided. “Thanks. She left you those pictures on purpose. She knew they would help, and the first one did. I think you can put your trust in Zelda. And if you can’t put trust in her, put trust in fate.”

Link actually stopped after hearing you say this, appeared to mull it over, and then kept moving. He seemed to agree with the advice, yet he still appeared dissatisfied. “Well, I can only try, I guess. But I don’t know how much good they’ll do me if I can't even find them. I mean, yeah, the memories might come back, but I don’t have memories of the actual spots!”

“Good point.” You thought you might have a chance here. “You know, you might want to ask around for help finding those spots. In fact, I’ve traveled across Hyrule, I could probably at least help you whittle down some of them.” That last fact was stretching the truth a little bit; you were very young when you were traveling. As in, so young you were unable to form memories.

“I appreciate the offer,” Link said as your hope faded, “but I sincerely doubt very many people would be able to help. I mean, look at this!” Link detached his Sheikah Slate from his belt and showed you one of the pictures. Displayed on the screen, like magic, was an image of a random-looking forest with no discernible recognizable qualities. Needless to say, you had no clue where the picture was taken, and the look on your face indicated so to Link.

“So, again, appreciated, but I think I’m a little stuck just scouring Hyrule looking for these very particular spots.”

Shoot. You still were pretty sure there was someone out there who could help Link with this, but you definitely weren’t the guy to do it. And now Link was in a bad mood. Great.

“I get that it’s frustrating...but...not to sound like a broken record...I know you can do it.”

Link sighed. “Thanks.”

You looked at the ground. You were not sure at all where to go from here. You two were within 15 minutes of Kakariko Village at this point, and you were kind of running out of time. Before you could make an attempt, something that didn’t usually catch your eye, did.

“Hey, wait a second.”

Link did not wait but did turn a bit to see you.

“No, seriously wait up.” Link stopped. “You see these metal cubes on the side of the mountain?” You indicated to stacked metal cubes with odd patterning that had been there for as long as you knew this land. No one could figure out what they were for, but you thought that they might be related to the hero.

“What about them?” Link asked.

“You see, they’ve been here forever. I was wondering if you knew anything about them.”

“I think we’ve been over this, I don’t know anything about anything.”

“I know, but, can’t that Sheikah Slate do something besides make you feel bad?”

Link looked at the Slate. A lightbulb suddenly switched on in his head and he said, “Stand back a second.” You obliged. Link directed the tablet toward a lone metal cube, clicked a button, and started moving the cube around from a distance. You couldn’t believe your eyes! You knew ancient technology was incredible, but seeing it operate so magically was beyond you.

Link fussed with the cube, finally lodging it into what looked like a good spot. The cube snapped firmly into place.

“Yah-hah-hah! You found me!” A tiny voice from an odd-looking creature sprouted up from under the cubes. You and Link headed toward the little guy.

“Here ya go!” The little guy continued as he handed Link an odd seed. You weren’t sure what you were looking at.

“What...who are you?’ You dared to ask the creature. The thing turned its vacant gaze at you, and you guessed its emotion as stunned. You guessed this way partly because Link was looking at you stunned, too.

“You can see me?”

“You can see him?” Link asked at the same time.

“Yeah, of course...Should I not be able to?”

“No!” They both said in unison.

“Oh. Um. I can pretend not to see you, if you like.”

“No, it’s alright. Just a little weird getting noticed by two Hylians.”

“Oh. Well. Uh. See ya!” You tried to energize the thing a little.

“Buh-bye!” The little leaf fellow enthusiastically returned. You and Link continued on the path to Kakariko.

“What was that thing? And what did it give you?”

“That was a Korok, a child of the forest. A tree-guy named Hestu said the little pranksters nabbed his Korok seeds—” Link held up the seed “—and if I return them, I get to hold more stuff!”

“How does that work?”

“No clue!”

“Sweet.”

“...Hestu also said it’s really rare to be able to see Koroks. You’ve never seen one of those guys before?”

“Never. I definitely would’ve recognized them.”

“Wow. Interesting. Wonder why we both can see them.”

_ Because I am a chosen one! I knew it! I knew it all along! _ You wanted to blurt out. But you kept your cool. “Maybe it’s just random.”

“Don’t sell yourself too short.”

You shrugged. 

The two of you finally entered the limits of Kakariko Village. As you made your way along the winding path leading you through the village proper, you realized you really were running out of time. You felt like you had made some connections with Link, but you just had never found the right words or opportunity. 

Link slowed up, took in his surroundings, and looked back at you. You realized you had pretty much followed him the entire way. “I hope I didn’t slow you down too much,” you felt the need to say.

“Not at all, actually. You helped out with that puzzle, too. I’d call it a success.”

You smiled in response.

“...Well, I gotta get along to Lady Impa now.”

“Oh. Right. I don’t want to keep you.” You lied.

“I guess this is goodbye. Really, I can’t thank you enough for your help.”

You felt your chance slipping. “Anytime! Seriously, anytime you need help, or just someone to talk to, I’m never very busy.”

“Appreciated, (m/n). I’ll see you again, certainly. I still owe you that health potion.”

“Right, how could I forget?”

Link shrugged and said, “Until then, though, I’ll catch ya later.” And he started off.

“W-...wait, Link!” You started to get nervous.

“What’s up?” Link said as he stopped himself. He seemed to know something was the matter with you.

You were going to say it. Really, you were. But at the last moment you tried to put it off a little longer. “Come to my house after you’re done. I need to say something.”

Link just stared.

“If you have time, I mean. It’s kind of important.”

“Alright, then,” Link replied, and walked toward Impa’s.

You let out a deep breath you didn’t know you were holding. This at least gave you some time to think things over.

You walked to your house, left the door open, and took a seat. But you kept fidgeting, so you paced instead. You lost track of yourself and of your thoughts, and, before you knew it, Link was at the door—not barging in, trying to escape a swarm of cuccos, this time.

“H-...hey. How was Lady Impa?”

“Fine. She didn’t have too much to say. The advice about the memories was similar to what you had said. I don’t know if I’ll return until I have all these memories reclaimed. So, what’s on your mind?”

You swallowed. Frankly, you didn’t know why you were getting so worked up. The worst he could do would be to say no, and then nothing would change. You’d lived your current life for years, and you would probably have more chances after this to go out and be someone. But you really wanted to be someone with Link. You just did. So, keeping all this in mind, you tried to articulate a piece of that to the hero. 

“Link…” You made eye contact, then, for some reason, couldn’t keep it. “Link, I don’t know how to say this. Or, ask this, might be a better way to put it. But…” You sighed and took a deep breath. “I just, I have a really boring life here in Kakariko Village. And...it’s a good life, don’t get me wrong...but, I just feel like I’m not meant to be stuck up here. I want to travel, I want to adventure, I want to explore, I want...I want to  _ do _ something with my life.” You risked a look up at Link’s face. Luckily, his face wasn’t negative. He seemed intrigued, but not like he knew what you were getting at. You continued. “And...and over this short time I’ve just felt…” It was hard for you to say. “I’ve just felt connected to your adventure. I don’t know if that sounds self-important or like I’m imposing on you, I promise I’m not trying to, but it’s the truth. I’ve given you little reason to, but...but I really want to travel with you, on your adventure, doing what I can to help you…” Your voice sort of trailed off at the end.

You had said all you wanted to, so you attempted another analysis of Link’s face. To your dismay, it was no longer encouraging. You didn’t know what you expected. You certainly didn’t think he’d immediately agree. You wouldn’t, if you were in his shoes. Right now, at least, it seemed he was thinking over your request. Or, at the least, he was trying to sort things out in his head.

“Uh…(m/n)...I…” Link was beginning to formulate something. “I’m...not sure what to say.”

“That makes sense.” You felt compelled now to add on. “I’m not trying to force you into anything, really. I just figured I’d ask, because I don’t have anything to lose. You don’t have to answer, even, if you don’t want to. Just thought I’d try.”

“No, it’s...you’re alright…”

“Or you can say no, I promise it won’t hurt my feelings.” You wanted to destress the situation.

“Well,” Link furrowed his brow, huffed out his nose, and continued, “I think...I think I’d enjoy having someone along for parts of the journey, but...I just...I don’t know. I do a lot of stuff. A lot of dangerous stuff. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. And, on top of that, I need to be the one who does most of the stuff I do. I don’t know how much help you could be that wouldn’t just be needlessly placing you in harm’s way.”

_ I want to be in danger, I want that thrill, that’s the point _ . You weren’t going to tell him this, since it was actually kind of sweet that one of his main points was that he feared for your safety. But it didn’t really satisfy you.

Link continued, “Probably the reason I should say no the most, though, is that...this is my journey. I’m the only one who’s able to do this stuff for a reason. It has to be me. And for that reason, I just feel like I have to do this alone.”

Wow. That made sense to you, but you knew Link. You knew his relationship with destiny, how it wore him down. You decided to try a little persuasion. Well, maybe not persuasion, but maybe just shining a new light on this for Link.

“That’s...that’s valid...But I just want to mention one thing. I won’t try to change your mind. But, remember yesterday, when we talked about how your destiny might seem to be set in stone, but it really isn’t? You can...choose a little different of a path. I mean, you also have your own life for a reason, and you get to make this journey how you want. Whether that means having someone along or not is obviously up to you, but I just want you to know that you’re more than an agent in a story. You’re the hero, but you’re also Link. You need to embrace both of those, the first part for our sakes, and the second part for yours.”

Link was contemplative. “I...I appreciate that. You’re right. You are.” You braced yourself. “I still don’t think it’s a great idea...But, you said you feel connected, didn’t you?” You nodded. Link continued, “I don’t think that’s totally inaccurate. I think...I think I felt that too. I mean, you’ve helped a lot. You seem to be knowledgeable, quick-thinking, and...and you really seem to care about me. Not the hero, but me, Link, like you said. I’ve not met anyone else like that, so far. So…so, sure, I guess. You can come along. For a bit, at least. I want to warn you though, about the highfalutin, wondrous adventure you might be expecting. It’s dangerous. We’ll have to set ground rules. I don’t know what I would do if I were responsible for you getting hurt.”

You were so giddy you could hardly respond. He actually agreed! You were kind of mind-blown. You wished he were more enthusiastic, but beggars can’t be choosers. 

“Thank you, Link! You won’t regret it, I promise. Of course I’ll stay safe. You have nothing to worry about.” The words spilled out of your mouth. You tried to play it cool, but you couldn’t help yourself.

“I’m glad you’re excited. I guess I am, too…”

You beamed.

“Well, we’ve got no time to lose. Are you ready to go?”

You were startled. That makes sense, you supposed. You didn’t want to waste his time. You had your pack with you, your house had little you could bring along. It had been ages since you prepared for a long journey, but you were going to be traveling with Link; you felt like you had little to worry about.

“Ready as I can be!”

“Good. Next stop: Gerudo Desert!” And as quick as he went anywhere, Link was off. You followed close behind. You were going to a desert! On an adventure! With Link! You could hardly believe it! You had no idea what was in store for you, but your future looked, well, brighter than it had ever looked. You just hoped you wouldn’t disappoint yourself, or, more importantly, disappoint Link.


	4. Chapter 4

You’d been on the road with Link all day, and the sun was starting to make its way over the horizon. You had to admit, Link’s style of travel was something you weren’t used to. The hero ran almost everywhere, climbed when he could, and endlessly upended rocks looking for creatures. Though you found that last habit detestable, Link insisted they would be essential for potions when combined with monster parts. The only thought you had at that was how vile it must be to actually drink a concoction made with such repulsive ingredients.

For the most part, you were proud of how well you kept up. You figured it was partly a 

matter of Link’s stamina likely having deteriorated over a century. Whatever the reason was, you were able to run and climb right behind him. Frequently, you also helped direct him to conspicuous rocks, too. This led you to multiple more Koroks who gladly handed over the seeds they had nabbed. Overall, your first day of journeying had been a success. 

The pace you two maintained was consistent. You talked every now and again, exchanging observations, tidbits, or knowledge you thought he might find helpful. It felt to you like you worked together as a team well. You made up for some of his shortcomings, and he did the same for you. So, while there was a palpable lack of verbal communication, you still felt very in touch with what Link was thinking. 

That all being said, as nightfall approached, you had made it to the outskirts of Central Hyrule. You hadn’t seen much danger up to that point, just a few bokoblins that Link dispatched of easily. Hence, you weren’t worried about nightfall, but you would want to find a good spot to rest. 

“Link.”

“Hm?”

“There should be a stable, Riverside Stable, nearby.” This was about the limits of your deep knowledge of the land; Tasseren was in regular contact with fellow stable owners, so you knew of most of the ones within a day’s travel of Dueling Peaks Stable.

“Oh. Good. Maybe we should stop by.”

“Definitely. It would also be a good place to stop for the night.”

Link looked back at you. “Do we need to stop moving?”

“Uhh...well, I figured we would. You don’t actually travel every hour, do you?”

“Well, not every hour. But I only rest when I need to. I don’t like wasting entire nights in one spot.”

“Oh. That makes sense. I guess that’s fine. We should stop by, anyway, though. It’s just near the river over this bridge, if I remember right.”

Link nodded. You didn’t know how to feel about the prospect of moving whenever you could. You knew you had the energy for it. You weren’t worried about the danger. It was just such a break from the typical diurnal lifestyle you were used to. This was what you wanted, though. And you did want it. No bedtime! Sweet!

A faint beep from Link’s Sheikah Slate alerted the two of you as you neared the stable. You knew this meant a shrine was nearby. Ancient trials left for the chosen hero to conquer and strengthen his spirit, only Link could access the inside. You had already found two today, and you took them as time to relax while Link did hero stuff. He was pretty quick getting through them, only about half an hour.

“Great! A shrine!” They were always good news, since Link’s spirit could always use a good buffing.

“It’s probably right next to the stable, like the one by Dueling Peaks.”

“Yeah...I think I see it over this hill.”

You spotted the orange monolith. They were odd structures, unlike anything built in your time. 

“Link, if you want, I can go check out the stable while you take care of the shrine.”

“That would save us some time. Go for it.”

“Is there anything you need from it?”

Link thought for a moment. “I don’t really think so. Just talk to people, see if they have any information or chores they need done.”

“Sounds like a plan.” You locked eyes with Link, nodded, and the two of you split. 

Each time, as soon as you were apart from Link, you felt the emptiness you hadn’t realized characterized life in Kakariko return. It was silly, you knew he’d be back soon. Not only that, but you weren’t in Kakariko; you were out adventuring, very much not like what you did in the village. You guessed it had something to do with you associating freedom with Link so much. Either way, you didn’t like not being with him.

But you had a job to do. You were a little disturbed at how this stable looked...exactly like the Dueling Peaks Stable.  _ Did one person build every stable _ ? You thought.  _ And...is that...no...is that Tass? _ From far away, it really looked like Tasseren was standing behind the counter just like you would see him at Dueling Peaks. As you got closer, you realized it was in fact a different person, just dressed...also exactly like their counterpart.

_ Wait, Tass! _ You had completely forgotten to tell Tasseren you wouldn’t be back for...probably a while. Great! You silently kicked your forgetful self for letting that slip your mind. Oh, well. You’d figure something out. You weren’t about to reverse all of the day’s progress for your mistake. Maybe this stable owner could help you out. 

You moseyed up to the owner, and, as you expected, he introduced himself readily.

“Greetings, traveler! The name is Ember. Welcome to Riverside Stable. What can I do for you?” Tasseren’s doppelgänger had the same energy as Tasseren. You recognized his name, though. Tasseren had mentioned him a couple times.

“Hey there. My name’s (m/n). I’m just traveling with...uh, with my friend. We simply wanted to stop by.”

“Anyone is welcome here.”

“...Hey, Ember, you must know Tasseren, right?”

“Of Dueling Peaks Stable? Naturally. What of him?”

“I’m actually a stable hand for him there.”

“Interesting! That sounds like him to hire some help; always the shrewd businessman Tass was.”

“You could say that again.”

“Indeed. Funny you should mention him. I had actually planned to pay old Tass a visit in the coming week.”

_ Ding ding ding ding! _ You couldn’t believe your luck. “No kidding! I’m sorry to ask, but there is a small favor I’d like, considering that. I for—” you caught yourself in the middle of admitting something you didn’t care to admit “—I mean, there is a small message I’d like for you to pass on to him.”

“Sounds simple enough. What’s the message?”

“Uhh, actually, I would prefer...or, no, the message is quite long, actually. I’ll just write it down.” You pulled out a small notebook you kept a random assortment of, well, notes in. “May I borrow some ink? Apologies for being unprepared, I have things to trade or rupees to offer.”

Ember smiled and shook his head. He moved his ink bottle over toward you. “Nonsense, a friend of Tass’s is a friend of mine. Write what you need and I’ll deliver it when I see him.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Ember! I can’t thank you enough!” You scribbled down your note—filled with apologies—folded up the paper when you were done, and handed both ink and page back to Ember. You exchanged goodbyes and you mentally patted yourself on the back for handling that situation reasonably well.  _ Thank goodness for that deus ex stable owner _ . You made your way around the stable, looking for folks that you thought Link would try to talk to. 

Multiple conversations ensued, none too interesting. A couple people voiced complaints about wanting irrelevant things, and you knew Link wouldn’t be interested in what they had to say. You took note of them, of course, should you find what they were looking for by chance.

_ Link should be finishing up soon _ , you figured. And you were about to head toward the shrine when you spotted a familiar face. Eyes intense, tongue out in concentration, it was Pikango the painter! You had seen Pikango in Kakariko Village many times painting whatever he thought pristine enough for his brush. He was an easygoing fellow and a good conversationalist, so you decided to pay him a visit.

“Pardon me-” You could barely get an introduction in before Pikango leapt into conversation.

“A fan? An admirer? A lover of art? Pikango’s the name, painting is my game. I’ve traveled all across Hyrule in search of the landscapes it has to offer, all in an attempt to quench my brush.”

_ That’s so wicked _ .  _ Wait a second, all across Hyrule? Painting? Landscapes?  _ “Your dedication to your craft is worthy of admiration, certainly. Tell me, Pikango, just how familiar are you with the natural terrain of Hyrule?” At this moment, you noticed the faint orange glow of the shrine dim and then shift to blue. Link was on his way.

“From the volcanoes of Eldin to the Mountains of Hebra to the deserts of Gerudo and everywhere in between. You name it, I know it. What, have you a challenge?” You’d piqued Pikango’s interest.

“You could say that. A friend of mine needs some help isolating the locations of various images. Would you be able to help?”

Pikango raised an eyebrow. “I am without a doubt intrigued. Where is this friend?”

You had seen Link’s figure emerge from over the hill, and he was making his way to the stable now. “Fortunately, here he comes right now.”

You both turned toward Link. Once he noticed this, he picked up his pace.

Pikango took the lead. “Hello there! My name is Pikango, painter and traveler extraordinaire. I’ve conquered every landscape through my mighty brush, and have accrued extensive knowledge of Hyrule’s terrain thanks to my dedication to art. Your friend here tells me you’ve caught yourself in a bit of a struggle determining the locations certain images were created at, is that correct?”

Link took the barrage of information in and just stared at you. You smiled expectantly, urging him mentally to get his Sheikah Slate out. Link finally came to his senses and said, “Oh, yeah, that’s correct. If you’re willing to help, I’m willing to let you try.”

Link showed the slate to Pikango, the collection of images on the screen. Pikango stared at the slate, obviously unsure what the object in front of him was. But the man understood visual recreations of the real world, and, intuitively, poked one picture that struck him. It depicted a lake with the great dueling peaks in the background. It was a gorgeous image.

“This one, right here. If I’m not mistaken, that is Lake Kolomo, just west of here. Keep an eye on the Dueling Peaks and you won’t miss it!” Pikango stepped back, proud of himself. Link’s face showed a mixture of awe and joy.

“Th-...thank you! That’s...more helpful than you know.”

“All in a day’s work!” Pikango replied.

“Could you help us with the others?” Link was eager, now.

“Hmm, well, that wouldn’t leave any fun for you two, now would it?”

You gave Link a look, telling him to not push it. He obliged and said, “Yeah, you’re right. Anyway, thank you again!”

“I’m sure I’ll see you both again. I’m always traveling, always on the hunt for new land to capture on my canvas.”

“We look forward to it. Pleasure to meet you!” You responded as Link was already rushing west. 

You caught up to Link. “That helps!”

“You’re telling me. I hope we run into him again.” Link looked at you. “Thanks for finding him. I mean...it was essential...only one day in, and I already don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Hearing those words ignited something in you. You were beyond proud to have helped the hero, and he really seemed grateful. Of course, you tried to stay humble. “You would have found him eventually. It’s all about teamwork and it’s all about the mission, right?” 

“Right.”

You followed Link’s map, heading pretty much directly west as Pikango instructed. Soon, a very flat lake came into view. Well, all lakes are flat. This one just felt especially flat. Link pulled up the picture again and began looking around.

“Well, using the mountains as reference, it should be somewhere around…” Link walked halfway around the perimeter of the lake. “...here.” Link looked up, and then back to his Sheikah Slate. Up again, back again. He looked up one more time, and this time his eyes shot open. As quick as they opened, they snapped shut. A flurry of emotions scrambled Link’s face. You hadn’t seen him recover a memory before. He looked deeply lost in that memory, so you decided not to bother him.

Link’s face continued twitching similar to how he saw him dreaming a day or two ago. The commotion in his features slowed until he scrunched his eyes closed one more time. Link grunted, fell backward, and rubbed his head.

“Link!” You were caught off guard and rushed over to him on the ground. “Are-...are you alright?”

Link was still pressing his hand to his right temple. He didn’t respond, so you just put your hand on his shoulder. This he seemed to notice. 

Link at last opened his eyes, shook his head, and looked at you with a familiar gaze. “Yeah...yeah, I’m alright. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that, though.”

“What did you see?”

Link thought hard, aching to instill the memory within his new consciousness. “I was...with Zelda...walking...here. She was holding the Sheikah Slate, talking about Divine Beasts...and someone named Daruk. At the end, she...she asked me how I was with my sword...if I wielded it well, I guess...She mentioned...she mentioned a voice...a voice in the sword, she asked me if I heard it…”

You were enraptured. “Did you hear it?”

Link’s intense expression faded and he looked at you blankly. “I don’t remember.”

“Right. Well, still, good to have another memory reclaimed. And this one seems a bit more understandable. See, I told you we’d find these places. Soon there’ll be nothing you don’t remember.”

You both were still on the ground, and Link gave a weird, half-cough, half-laugh in response to you.

“Are you alright?”

Link swallowed. “Y-...yeah, I’m fine. It’s a lot to take in. Weird experience.”

“I’ll bet.” You both sat there a couple more moments in silence.

As you were about to get up, though, Link said something unexpected. “How do you do it?”

“What?”

“How...how do you believe in me so effortlessly?”

Needless to say, that wasn’t the question you were expecting. But you answered it anyway. “At first...at first, Link, it was because you’re the hero. But now, it’s because I know you, and I know what you’re capable of.”

Link sighed. “I feel...I feel the calling, the need to fulfill my destiny, to do my duty. I do. But that doesn’t mean I know I’ll succeed. I think about failing. The pressure builds up, and I think about what my failure would mean, and I’m just one person, and I don’t remember anything, and…” Link was starting to get choked up.

“Hey, hey, Link. You’re okay. You can do it. You’re  _ the _ hero. You’re brave, and courageous, and righteous, and therefore you  _ will  _ succeed. But you’re also courteous, and understanding, and passionate, you’re the Link I’ve gotten to know. And therefore  _ also _ you will succeed.”

Link looked up at you. tears starting to glisten in his eyes. “You’re the nicest person I’ve met so far.”

You laughed just a little. “I do what I can.”

You stood up and offered Link a hand. When you went to let go of it, Link pulled you in

a hug. Again, it wasn’t what you were expecting, but you complied gladly.

“Thank you, (m/n).”

You didn’t say anything, just rubbed his back. Link was warm and soft. You kind of really wanted to just stay like that, but you also didn’t want to be weird. You both pulled away at the same time, your smiles saying more than words ever could.

-

Link was serious about only resting when you needed to. You two stopped for 3 or 4 hours only twice only our entire trip to Gerudo Desert. Meanwhile, Link was as awake as ever. The shrines you found along the way offering you a chance to rest in combination with your breaks were just enough to tide you over. You weren’t exhausted by the time you reached the desert, but it was less sleep than you were used to.

As you neared the true edge of the desert, you encountered something new. Atop a hill, the hazy form of an upright tower began to crystallize. Link was making a beeline for it.

“What’s that tower? It looks the same as the one near Dueling Peaks.”

“Another trial for me. Yippee.” Link made a sarcastic circle in the air with his index finger. “Climbing that will expand my map so we can get a better sense of direction in this region.”

_ How long had we not been following a map? _ You thought. You just gave an understanding hum in response.

You climbed the hill the tower protruded from. As you hoisted yourself up the final ledge, you found yourself standing on the edge of a lake. Not a lake of water, but of a dark, disturbing. sludge-like substance. You didn’t know it was, but you knew it wasn’t safe.

“That’s not good news,” you said.

“Nope. But there’s gotta be a way to it.”

“Right…” You both pondered for a moment. 

“If the same folks who designed that slate made this tower, then it probably has something to do with the Sheikah Slate, right?”

Link opened his eyes, which had been closed while he was thinking. “Smart.” He brought out his Sheikah Slate and mumbled, “Let’s see here...bombs, no...stasis, couldn’t be...maybe magnesis will help?” Link planted his feet and held the Slate in front of him. He had a look on his face you had gotten to know. When he was concentrating, lost in focus, other emotions dripped away. You wondered if he would be remembered as he is right now, at his most stoic. He always mentioned what being a hero means for people’s impressions of him. You counted yourself lucky you got to know the person behind that stoic look.

“Ooh, got something.” Link pulled up a great hulking metal crate from the bottom of the mud lake. In an instant of what can only be described as pure epiphany, Link noticed standing rocks and smashed the crate as hard as he could into them, knocking each one over.

The noise was deafening and you turned away in shock. “What was that for?” You looked back, seeing the rocks toppled, creating a makeshift path to the tower. “Oh. Nice.”

Link winked at you. “That’s not all I got.” He messed with his Sheikah Slate once more and suddenly blocks of ice emerged from the lake. Link hopped up onto the nearest one.

“Oh, please be careful up on those.”

“No promises!” Link stuck out his tongue. As he made his way, Link pretended to slip on the ice multiple times, getting a laugh out of seeing you have a half-heart attack. Finally, you watched him climb up to the tower.  _ There he goes _ . It really was incredible. He had the heart and spirit of a hero. No questions, just a direct path toward the next objective. How he managed to keep that up despite how much he second-guessed himself, you didn’t know. You admired it, that’s for sure. 

Once Link reached the top, the orange glow of the tower—just like the shrine’s—faded and changed to blue. The top performed some ancient awakening ritual and Link, satisfied, paraglided down to you.

“You can’t worry me like that!” You said playfully.

“You’re the one who needs worrying over. You were standing awfully close to that mud.” Link retorted, also playfully.

“Oh, please. You’d be more afraid of the mud staining your clothes than actually getting hurt by it.”

“Oh ho! (m/n)’s got a little attitude!”

“Whatever you say, chicken hero.” You gave Link a light punch on the shoulder.

“I am the  _ opposite _ of a chicken hero.” Link put his hands on his hips.

You smiled and shrugged. 

“Anyway, we have places to be.”

“We’re almost there...what’s the plan once we get in the desert. I mean, it’ll be hard to travel through sand. And it’ll probably be scorching hot in the day, frigidly cold at night.” You looked at Link, realizing that, once more, he had no plan.

“You make many good points. I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

You rolled your eyes. Thinking hard, you remembered once more knowledge accrued over so many years living in Kakariko Village.

“Wait a second, I know what’s in Gerudo Desert. We should probably check out Gerudo Town and Kara Kara Bazaar. They’re kind of...the only things out there.”

“You are invaluable!” Link said enthusiastically. You beamed. You would never get tired of the feeling of Link appreciating you.

“The bazaar is closer...If we head straight into the desert, I’m sure we’d spot it. Better get going soon, sunset will probably be the best time to travel.”

Link nodded. You were glad he didn’t seem to be offended or put off by you taking a little initiative. Keeping that in mind, you kind of wanted to push your luck. You’d seen Link’s paraglider in action a couple times, and it just seemed like so much fun.

“Hey...this looks like a pretty good spot to paraglide from,” you said, overlooking the desert.

“Yeah, but I’m not gonna leave you behind.”

“Who says you have to?”

“We can’t both use it, there’s only two handles.” Link said, matter-of-fact. 

“Very keen of you to notice.” Link only slightly sensed your sarcasm. “However, I think two handles is all we need.”

“Oh! Oh. Uh. We might be too heavy together…”

“Oh, come on, Link! Live a little!”  _ And let me live a little, too! _

Link gritted his teeth, expressively mulling it over. You silently dared him to try it. Finally, he huffed, planted his feet, and pulled out his paraglider. “Alright, hop on.”

You smiled wide and clapped your hands a few times. You got behind Link, jumped toward him and wrapped your four limbs around him. Amazingly, he didn’t even budge.

“First time fliers, hold on tight!”

You braced yourself. Link, still impressing you, ran forward, jumped off the ledge and threw the paraglider over his head. You kind of just now realized you had convinced Link to jump off a cliff while you held on to him and you instinctively shut your eyes preparing to splatter on the ground. Of course, that is not what happened. Instead, the paraglider caught the air magnificently, allowing the two of you to descend safely toward the desert.

“This is incredible!” You said, exhilarated. 

Link let you take it in, happy to give you the experience. “Next stop: Kara Kara Bazaar!”


	5. Chapter 5

“Link, I have sand in my shoes!”

“Try complaining about it, princess.”

“Can’t you do anything about it?”

“I don’t know, sounds like a you problem.”

You pouted wryly. The two of you had made your way through the desert, despite the sand’s best wishes. In your defense, Link had been complaining about the sand on the way much more than you.

Finally, though, you were at the Kara Kara Bazaar. Good timing, too, considering nightfall was just upon you. The desert, broiling though it was during the day—a true basin of heat—shifted to the polar opposite at night, the air becoming still and frigid. The activity at the bazaar was enough to keep the surrounding area at a relatively constant temperature. For that, you were both thankful, as neither of you were dressed for the occasion.

Kara Kara Bazaar was an anomaly in an otherwise desolate land. A picturesque oasis surrounded by luscious palm trees provided respite from the deadly neighboring landscape. You felt drawn toward one spot near the calm lake, Something about the view, you just felt compelled.

“Wait...wait, (m/n). I think…” Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate, seemingly recognizing something. He pulled a picture from his album left to him by Zelda. He went into the state you had seen him endure once before as he took in a vivid memory. 

_ How lucky that we should just stumble across this spot...Although, if we were more keen on remembering what landscapes we’re looking for, we would’ve spotted this easily...Oh, well. It’s another one off the list either way _ .

You were lost in Link’s face, trying to get a clue as to what was occupying his head. He at last snapped out of it, but fortunately kept his footing this time. Link would always get better each time he did something. That was, you believed, a principle of his.

“Link, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m starting to get the hang of...reliving these memories…”

“What did you recall?”

Link took a deep breath in. “I was...approaching this place. I saw Zelda running, running from...warriors of some kind. They had weird masks. I didn’t really recognize their looks. They had her cornered. I was running as fast as I could. I think…” Link swallowed. “I think they were gonna kill her. And...I think they would have, but I got there in time, and...well, I’m sure the rest is predictable.”

You were awestruck. “Wow...that’s so metal!”

Link was taken aback by your comparison. “Could you take it seriously? Also, what do you mean by ‘metal’?”

“I am taking it seriously! That’s seriously metal! And metal means exactly what it sounds like. You know, it’s wicked, it’s sick, it’s...metal.”

“I didn’t know you could use wicked or sick to describe metal things, but you learn something new everyday.”

“You’ll get the hang of it.”

“I suppose...we should probably start asking around. Do you know what’s here?”

“Uh, not really. I just know this place is here.”

“That’s fair. Guess we should ask around, as usual.”

The usual, you could do. You’d never been one to strike up conversations with strangers, but whether it was alongside Link or on his behalf, you felt no trouble at all. Your typical misgivings about coming off as awkward or intrusive faded away; you still feared seeming that way, but that took second place to your dedication to Link—well, to Link’s mission.

The two of you waltzed toward a Gerudo woman looking to be soon falling asleep. She didn’t look polite, that was for sure.

“Hey, there.” Link reached out with his go-to opener. It happened to be your go-to opener as well.

The lady yawned. “Sav’saaba, Hylians. I can tell you don’t know what I just said. Sav’saaba means good evening. If you want to fit in, you could stand to learn some of our greetings.”

“Appreciated. What’re you selling?” Link continued.

The lady cocked an eyebrow. “What, are you blind? Or have you just never seen a hydromelon, banana, or palm fruit before?”

“Sorry, just making some talk.” Link was blushing; you could barely make it out in the dark.

“I’m not here to talk. There’re plenty of vais here willing to talk...Vai means woman, by the way. You two are voes, just so you know. We Gerudo make a concerted distinction between the two. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m closing up shop for the night. Go to the inn if you need someone to bother.”

“Say no more.” Link finished and walked away. “Well, she was friendly.”

“Let’s hope they’re not all so brusque.”

“For sure...What did she mean by plenty of women? Is it only women here?”

“Oh! Yeah, you wouldn’t remember that, probably. Almost all Gerudo are women. Male Gerudo...I’ve never even heard of one. I guess they have to exist, but-...sorry, doesn’t matter. Anyway, it makes sense that they would be so keen on distinguishing the two.”

“Interesting. Guess that makes us stand out even more, huh?”

You shrugged. The two of you entered the inn. You had never been in a place quite like this one, and you took the opportunity to take it all in. The atmosphere inside was remarkable. You could barely tell just beyond the door was an unwavering desert. Little lanterns cloaked the inside in a warm light, splashes of color from books and plants stood out against the rough brown walls, and the low ceilings added to the aura of safety produced by the inn. 

“Sav’saaba, visitors, and welcome to the Kara Kara Inn. My name is Kachoo, and I am at your service.”

“Sav’saaba, Kachoo.” Link said with a noticeable accent. “We’re travelers, although you could definitely tell. We’re a bit low on information and were wondering if you could help us out.”

Kachoo gave a knowing smile. “Certainly, little voe.”  _ Hehe, she called him little _ . “What is it you would like to know?”

Link froze up, obviously not having thought ahead to what he would ask next. You decided to step in. “We’re on a mission with an unknown destination, and we were thinking of heading toward Gerudo Town. Can you tell us about it?”

Kachoo let out a hearty laugh. “You certainly have the right idea! If the desert is the place you’re meant to be, Gerudo Town is your best bet. Unfortunately for you two, I don’t think it’s an option.”

“What? Why not?” You asked, disconcerted.

“No voes allowed in the city!”

“You gotta be kidding.” said Link.

Kachoo shook her head. “Sorry, pals. Those are the rules, and you will never get an exception to be made. You can try anything else in this desert, but as for Gerudo Town, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.”

Link was understandably discouraged. You had some ideas for how to get around it, and you were sure he did, too. Nonetheless, it looked like a hiccup in your journey. 

“Understood. Thanks for your help.” Link said.

“Sorry to disappoint...by the way, we Gerudo say ‘sarqso’ in place of thanks. That may win over some folks for you.”

“Ah, sarqso, then!” Link said, his accent severely lacking. 

Kachoo cringed at the butchering of her native tongues. “Maybe you should just stick to ‘thanks’.” 

“What, why?” Link asked, but you pulled Link by his arm out of the inn before he could embarrass himself further.

“Don’t worry about it, Link.” You tided him over. 

“What are we gonna do?” Link was not defeated, but he was certainly set back.

“I have a few ideas.”

“Like what?”

“We could ask for some help from a Gerudo woman. Maybe we could enlist her help in finding out what we can.”

Link shook his head. “Nice thinking, but I know how this goes. If it’s anything like the Zora, I’ll need to meet with the leader. Most common folk know very little about what it is I need to be doing.”

“Hm, that makes sense...are you certain there’d be no way to sneak in?”

“Almost definitely not. Plus, we don’t want to risk making any unnecessary enemies.”

“Another good point...well, the only idea I have left is a disguise.”

Link wore a puzzled expression. “What do you mean, a disguise?”

“Have you seen the outfits of these women? If someone had clothes like that, you could wear them and pass for a woman no problem.”

Link’s puzzled expression grew into disbelief. “No way! Not only will the hero of Hyrule not be seen in women’s clothing, but others would see straight through the disguise thanks to my manly physique!”

You gave Link a condescending look. “Don’t flatter yourself, stud. You could pass for a girl in a heartbeat. And perhaps the hero of Hyrule is embarrassed by it, but the Link I know is perfectly comfortable with his masculinity.”

Link mulled over your proposition. “As much as I hate to say it...that may be our best shot. But where are we gonna find clothes like those?”

As if on cue, a noise found its way from the side of the inn. “Psst! Hey, you two, come here.” You and Link obliged. 

Hiding behind the wall was a Gerudo woman, pretty young. “I hate to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help but hear that you two are in need of some...garb.”

Link’s blush returned. You spoke for him. “That’s right!”

She grinned. “I shouldn’t say this, but somewhere in this very bazaar resides an infamous...woman...willing to part with extra sets of traditional Gerudo clothing. I can’t say anything else as to...her...location. But you should look around.”

“She’s on top of one of these buildings, isn’t she? Probably that big one.” You knew it.

“What? No! I mean, how did you know?”

“It’s painfully obvious that would be the best place to hide.”

The girl just huffed. “Well, go and find out, then, if you’re so confident. She only comes out at night, so you’d better hurry.”

Link was already ahead of you, walking toward the back of the general store.

“Sarqso!” You said, having no trouble mimicking the accent.

“Yeah, whatever,” the girl responded, but you were already following Link.

At the base of the store, Link was examining his whereabouts for a ladder, until finally just saying, “Forget it, let’s just climb.”

“Sounds like a plan!”

The two of you trudged atop the first floor. Now you were presented with a ladder, which you used to reach the top of the building. Lo and behold, standing there was a woman dressed in pink Gerudo clothing.

“Sav’saaba.” Link opened, with his iconic butchered accent.

The lady hummed and replied, “Sav’saaba,” putting emphasis on the parts of the word Link had screwed up.

You pushed Link to the side. You knew exactly how to handle this. “Sav’saaba, beautiful. Pardon us, but we believe we could use your assistance.”

The woman’s face lit up. “Ahh, I see, young voe. Whatever can I do for you?”

“My good friend here needs to access the inside of Gerudo Town, but, alas, as you can tell, he is not currently allowed. You wouldn’t happen to know of any possible way to skirt the restrictions, would you? Perhaps in the form of a disguise?”

“You speak very compellingly, Hylian. I would be happy to help. But remember that these clothes are not a disguise, but another version of yourself.”

“Sarqso, sarqso! How can we repay you?”

“Well, uh, with money, that’s how.”

“Oh. Right. Duh. How much?”

“600 rupees sounds fair to me, what about you?”

600 rupees sounded fair, sure, but damn if that wasn’t a lot of money. You were afraid you had hit another roadblock until Link chimed in, “Hey, (m/n), could you spot me, like, 100 rupees? I’ve got 500 already.”

“Where in Hyrule did you get 500 rupees?”

“Uhh...I don’t know...around? Look, I’m a hero, don’t ask questions.”

“Alright, then. Here you go.” You handed Link the remaining amount and he passed it on to the woman, waiting patiently. From seemingly out of nowhere, she produced a turquoise set of Gerudo clothes that you knew was going to complement Link’s eyes so well.

“There you are, my darling!” Link took the clothes and just kind of looked at them. “Well, don’t keep us in suspense! Let’s see how they suit you.”

“Wait just a second! I’m not gonna wear these until I need to.”

“Oh, honey, you gotta get used to them. Plus, they’re not only transformative...They’ll protect you from the heat as well.”

“Yeah, Link, just put them on. It’ll be easier to get it over with now.” You piped up, secretly wanting to see Link in the clothes for some reason.

Link grumbled. You felt a little bad, but you could tell he wasn’t uncomfortable, just a bit embarrassed. “Fine.” He caved. “Wait here.” Link said as he ducked behind a rock.

You felt compelled to make small talk. “Thanks for your help...I don’t think we ever caught your name.”

“It’s Vilia, darling. And it’s my pleasure! If you ask me, I find the no-boys-allowed rule to be rather stuffy.” At this moment, a gust of wind blew the flowing mask back from Vilia’s face, and you couldn’t help but notice a distinctive stubble on her face. No doubting, it was the face of a man, although you were pretty sure that was the case beforehand.

“Oh, my!” Vilia said, readjusting her covering. “Wind can be a bit of a problem…” Vilia continued. You winked in response.

Link had an inexplicable talent to change into rather intricate outfits quickly. He stepped out from behind the rock, a bit bashful but trying his best to exude confidence. “Well, how do I look?”

“Eeeeee!!! Adorable!” Vilia said gleefully. You could only stare. You’d seen Link in arguably more revealing clothes before, but, something about him in such feminine attire, under the moonlight, his mysterious expression...this was something you’d work out later. For now, you needed to reassure him.

“What she said.” You pointed your thumb to Vilia and smirked. 

Link blushed. “Thanks. It’s more comfortable than I expected.”

“Only the best!” said Vilia, still fawning over Link. She wasn’t wrong—he was adorable.

“What should I call you instead of Link while you’re incognito?” You asked slyly.

“What?” Link responded.

“I mean, Link is just too masculine. What if I call you that and you get caught. I have to pick the girliest name possible so that you really  _ feel _ like a woman.” You started to tease.

“Be quiet! Just don’t use my name. You won’t even need to do anything.”

“Whatever you say, Link-ette.”

“I said be quiet!”

You stuck your tongue out at Link-ette, smiling and then turning to Vilia. As if on command, Vilia piped up, “If you don’t mind me asking, what requires your sneaking into Gerudo Town?”

Link took the response. “Well, since you’ve been so helpful, I guess we can tell you...Actually, to be honest, I’m not sure. I’ll probably need to speak to the chief.”

Vilia put her chin in her hand knowingly. “Lady Riju. An audience with her may be hard to come by, but if you’re important enough, I’m sure you can get on her good side. I’d wager it has something to do with that sauntering Divine Beast out in the desert.”

Link nodded and hummed in agreement. Both of them looked out to the desert. You, not knowing what they were talking about, looked as well. You could make out the faint figure of an enormous, creature-like thing in the midst of a sandstorm. Small, intermittent bolts of lightning jumped down to it. How had you not noticed that thing? It was terrifying! Of course, you had to play it cool.

Vilia continued, “I’m sure the chief would be very accepting of any help she could get with it. Long laid it dormant, until recently it awoke with some vengeful fury. At any moment we fear it could come and destroy the Gerudo way of life.”

Link was somber and focused. “I’ll do what I can. You can count on me.”

Vilia gave a half-second blink coupled with a slight nod in response.

Silence fell over the three of you, and you decided to wrap up the conversation. “Thanks again for your help, ma’am!”

“Anytime, boys. Sav’orr!”

_ That must be goodnight. Or goodbye. Or something. Better say it back anyway. _ You thought in an instant. “Sav’orr!” You waved your goodbyes. 

As you descended the ladder, you decided you felt bad for teasing Link-ette-...er, Link, so much. “You know, the look suits you.”

“Don’t get used to it.” Well, so much for that.

Once you reached the base of Kara Kara Bazaar, it was still early morning. You decided to take some rest here, considering it was likely still brutally cold out in the heart of the desert (and with Link so exposed, you wanted to be as safe as possible). You hadn’t realized it, but you really needed some rest. Beside a small fire started by Link, you could feel your drowsiness overcoming you. The last thing you remembered before falling into the blanket of sleep enshrouding you was the sight of Link’s new sirwal, purple and flowing. 

“...Hey…(m/n)...get up…” You felt Link’s hand on your shoulder, shaking you awake.

“Mmm...okay...I’m up…” You said groggily. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, and you knew Link wanted to travel now considering you wouldn’t be able to handle the true conditions of the desert unless you were at least near the city. 

Link started, “Are you sure you want to come out to Gerudo Town? You won’t have much to do and I don’t know how long it’ll take. It’ll also be safer here.”

You smiled. “Thanks for worrying, but I’m sure. As you say, if need be, I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

Link nodded and stood up, offering you a hand. You accepted, getting to your feet. The two of you started on what seemed to be a trail connecting Kara Kara Bazaar with Gerudo Town. Naturally, no distinct trail had formed in the sand, so travel was still hindered by the desert terrain. Fortunately, the journey was reasonably uneventful. A monster or two startled you, but they were always no match for Link, even as low on defense as he was now.

The two of you, quick as always, reached the famed city in just enough time to avoid the sun’s heat. Link’s Sheikah Slate alerted the two of you to a shrine nearby, which you had kind of expected. You caught sight of it and directed toward the orange building. Link headed in, and you decided just to wait for him. He was in and out in under thirty minutes; he was really getting efficient. 

Gesturing toward the two towering Gerudo Guards outside the entrance, you gave Link some warnings knowing you’d have to part ways. “Don’t do anything stupid in there. Talk as little as possible. You have a high voice, though; you should be fine.”

“Do I really?”

You rolled your eyes. “You just proved my point. Please be careful. I know you can do it, whatever it is you need to do. I’ll keep watch out here.”

“It’s you who needs to be careful!”

“In the middle of the desert? I’ll be fine.”

“Yes, in the middle of the desert! This is the most dangerous place we’ve been so far.”

You thought it was funny how Link had simultaneously grown more and less confident in you during the trip. Certainly, he knew you could handle yourself better than he originally thought, but it seemed his genuine concern for your well-being had really grown.  _ That’s sweet _ .

“Okay, okay, fine, I’ll be careful. But don’t worry. Go do what you need to do, and I’ll be here waiting if and when you need me.”

“Alright, then.”

“Oh, and one more thing. Keep the Gerudo language to a minimum, alright?”

“Why do people keep saying that?”

“Ah, forget it, doesn’t matter,” you said, laughing and turning Link around. “Go on!”

Link looked over his shoulder and waved, nonchalantly jaunting toward the gate. You tried your best to not look suspicious while still keeping an eye on him. Link raised a hand to either guard, exchanged a word or two, and walked right in. They really seemed fooled! Not that they shouldn’t be...it would take a pretty sharp eye to notice. The Goddesses must have sprinkled in a little girliness as they were sculpting his perfectly chiseled face. Anyway, with enough fawning over Link’s features, you decided to walk the perimeter of the town. A bland sandstone wall encased the entire settlement, with only a couple entrances. Again wanting to avoid suspicion, you gave a passing “sav’otta”—or good morning, which you learned from a Gerudo woman exiting the city—to the guards you passed by.

You weren’t in any hurry; you were pretty much just moseying by the time you reached the back of the city. You saw the great top of what you assumed must be the chief’s residence, adorned with intense foliage. An impressive feat of architecture it was, let alone that it was constructed out here in the desert. 

“Admiring the handiwork?” You heard a voice. You looked around and saw another Hylian, whom you could have sworn you didn’t see the first time you looked around back here. Of course, you weren’t going to mention that, especially considering you were doing exactly what they asked.

“Indeed I was. Remarkable, isn’t it?” You replied.

“Truly, it is. What brings you out here to such desolate terrain besides sight-seeing?”

“I’m just a traveler.” You never liked to reveal more than you had to.

“Alone?”

“No, I’m with a friend. She’s inside visiting.” You said, not missing a beat on the alternate pronoun.

“I see.” You could feel the stranger scanning your face, like they knew something you didn’t. They continued, “Pardon me for asking, but have you ever heard of the great Master Kohga?”

_ What? Who is this person? I’m starting to get creeped out. _ “Um...no, I haven’t...should I have?”

The stranger took on a mockingly aghast look. “You poor thing! Master Kohga is only the most commendable leader in Hyrule. He graciously rules the prosperous Yiga Clan, righteous and true!”  _ Could you use a few more adjectives? _

“Sounds like a stand-up guy; I’ll have to get to know him. Anyway, this has been fun, but I really should get going now.”

The stranger’s expression turned to anger. “You should be eternally grateful to him, considering he hasn’t ordered your death!”

Alright, big red flag. This guy was trouble from the start, and you kicked yourself for sticking around so long. As you were about to bolt, the stranger’s form disappeared in a sudden poof of noxious red smoke. You looked around for where they went, finally seeing an oddly clothed soldier behind you, wearing a mask with a familiar symbol. Of course, the Yiga Clan! How could you not have recognized the name when they said it? And they must have been the warriors from Link’s memory! You reached for your dagger, but you were too late. The villain raised their harrowing, hook-shaped sword over their head, swinging it down violently onto your head. In an instant, shooting pain coursed through your skull, and you fell to the ground. Your vision faded and feeling left your body as you struggled to retain consciousness.  _ Well, at least this Master Kohga guy doesn’t want me dead _ —this was your second to last thought before passing out.  _ Oh, Link, I’m so sorry _ —this was your last.


	6. Chapter 6

Link was already in a bad mood. He had spent way more time in Gerudo Town than he had originally intended. Despite his best intentions, everyone seemed distrustful of him. It wasn’t even for suspicion of his true gender; no, the guards just seemed to not like him. He wrote it off as their indefatigable dedication to their chief, but they needed his help. At least Lady Riju had recognized this and given Link the opportunity to help them. Not only this, but his new mission seemed like a waste of time. A spat between the Gerudo and some group called the Yiga Clan meant he had a hideout to infiltrate somewhere in the mountains adjacent to the desert. Naturally, he was sent alone to accomplish this, but at least he had (m/n) to help him out. 

Link made his way through the entrance to the city looking for his companion. He didn’t see him right away.

“(m/n)?” Link called out. No response followed. Link, thinking he must be nearby, started around the perimeter in search for him.

“(m/n)? Where are you?” Link wasn’t worried, but it was weird not to have found whom he was looking for by now. Link picked up his pace.

Link reached the back wall and, as soon as he could, scanned the area now available to him. (m/n) was still nowhere to be found. Link swallowed and called his friend’s name once more.

Link kept moving, starting to really run now. He wasn’t sure what was making him so nervous, now. Something in his stomach just told him something was wrong.

“Wait...what’s this?” Link said, coming upon something almost hidden by the sand. The object was shining in the sun. It was...it was a knife. Well, a short one, a dagger. It was your dagger.

“What...this is...his dagger...why is it…” Link’s mind was starting to race, envisioning the worst. There was no chance (m/n) would just happen to drop this out here. Something caused him to lose it and leave it here.

Link was so caught up in the knife that he hadn’t seen next to it, inconspicuously camouflaged by the sand, a bunch of bananas. Yeah, definitely not a coincidence. 

Link stifled a gasp, putting two and two together. “No...no, no, no, no...oh, my God.” Link was starting to panic.

“He can’t be..this isn’t...no no no no…” Link couldn’t believe it. (m/n) was gone. Taken. Link had failed to protect him. He knew this was a bad idea from the start. And now (m/n) was kidnapped, or worse...Link could not bring himself to think of it.

The pit in Link’s stomach metastasized, leaving him a wreck. A mixture of shame, fear, anger, and self-pity washed over him. Link fell to his knees. What had he done? How could he live with himself knowing this was his fault? Tears fell from Link’s eyes, staining the sand beneath him.

Link looked once more at the dagger in his hand. “Enough,” he said to himself. He was not going to sit here feeling sorry for himself anymore. He had leads. He had a mission. He knew pretty well (m/n) was out there and, considering it was his fault (m/n) was in this mess, it was Link’s responsibility to get him out. Link picked himself up, wiping the last of his tears away and lodging (m/n)’s dagger in one of his belts. The emotion cocktail homogenized to solemnity, and Link once more adopted the focused, intense nature he was known for—this time colored by a vengeful streak.

-

You woke up on a cold, hard floor, in a dark, humid room. You could see hardly anything in your closest surroundings.  _ Where am I? _ You strained to remember your confrontation with that Yiga warrior, which you could. Oh, God, that’s where you must be! This must be their hideout, and you must be their prisoner. Panic started to overwhelm you. Link must be worried sick. And he had told you to be careful! You could only hope he was on his way to save you. He would never forgive you for this. You tried your hardest to stay calm and take in your environment as your eyes adjusted to the low light levels. They were kind enough to give you a view thanks to a barred door at the front of your cell. Everything else was a wall of black rock. You had no food, your pack had been stolen and likely looted, and you had no idea where the hideout actually was. What time it was was also another question unanswerable for you now. 

You worked up the courage to actually approach the bars and tell if you could see anything. From your vantage point you could make out a dim light illuminating another floor of the complex, to your right. You spotted one of those Yiga, this one much tougher-looking than the one who had knocked you out. To your left, you saw a staircase you assumed led to that floor. Directly in front of you was an overlook for the other floor, and, resting on a shelf connected to the railing, were—you guessed it—many bananas.  _ What is with these people and bananas? _ Of course, there was nothing useful on that shelf—say, a set of keys to let you out or something. 

Needless to say, as of right now, you had no way out. Your panicking ceased as you realized it would get you nowhere. All you could do now was sit and wait and hope that your knight would come to your rescue.

-

A Link on a mission was a Link hard to stop. It was obvious the Yiga weren’t the most competent group of villains, fortunately for him. Each trap set up and each goon attempting to halt his advances were futile. Link dealt with the inanities and snuck into the hideout with ease. The trance he lost himself in was machine-like. He just kept pushing forward, his mind eminently preoccupied with the thought of saving (m/n) first, and punishing the bastards who took him second. 

Finally, Link found his way to the entrance to the true inside of the hideout. He found himself in a long corridor. While the path leading up to this place had been pretty ornately-decorated for a bunch of clowns, this hallway was almost entirely dark and without decoration. Link assumed this must mean he was getting close to what they actually treasured. Hopefully he’d find more than a few bananas at the end of it.

Of course, he did find bananas. But he also did find more than that. As he descended the last few steps into a more open area, Link saw, unmistakably, behind a few bars, (m/n). (m/n), just sitting there, apparently lost in thought. He could hardly believe it. He thanked every cosmic force he could think of that (m/n) was alive and well. But the mission wasn’t done yet, of course.

You finally caught sight of Link, who was crouched down with his eyes trained on you. You didn’t recognize the emotion on his face. The same probably couldn’t be said about you, though, as you were pretty sure your face betrayed easily the fact that you were on the verge of a breakdown. You knew Link would come for you!

“Link!” You whispered as loud as you dared. Link looked side to side, making sure no one was nearby who may have heard that, and he made his way over to you.

The two of you spoke in whispers. “(m/n), oh, thank goodness you’re alright. I...I was so worried. I thought...I didn’t know…” Link was getting worked up.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, I knew you’d find me. I’m so sorry I wasn’t more careful. I-... I was just walking around Gerudo Town, and there was a stranger who...they transformed...and then I was here...it’s kind of a blur...how did you find me?”

Link reached into a belt and pulled out your dagger. “Lady Riju already directed me to come here. Apparently the Yiga stole one of the Gerudo’s ancient relics and now I’m on a mission to get it back. I knew if anyone had taken you, it was these fools.”

You let out a small laugh. “They are foolish...I’m a little embarrassed to say I let one capture me. But it’s okay, because you’re here now, and we’re gonna get out of this.”

“Yeah...of course, we still have to figure out how you’re gonna get out of this cell.”

You thought for a moment. “There’s a guard down on the lower floor if you look over that ledge,” you said, pointing toward the railing with the bananas. “If any of them have a key, it’d be him.”

Link nodded, re-assuming the focused look he kept when concentrating on his missions. “One second,” was all he said.

Link peered over the ledge, catching sight of the clueless guard. Link, looking once more at the bananas in front of him, got an idea. Link picked up a bunch and dropped them over the edge, clearly in view of the Yiga warrior. You thought for a moment that you two were now doomed and there would be no way this brute would be dumb enough to think a bunch of bananas that fell out of the sky was not at all suspicious, but, alas, this was not the case. The Yiga member simply noticed the fruit, celebrated for a moment, and happily marched over to it. 

As he did so, in a moment of time that seemed to extend as it happened, Link promptly drew his bow. He nocked an arrow, pulled back, aimed directly at the guard, and let it fire. The arrow flew gracefully, its tip glowing. You weren’t sure what Link had planned, but he seemed confident. The arrow made contact with the soldier, freezing him solid. Link hopped over the ledge, paragliding down. He then pulled out his sheikah slate, locking the warrior in place with some ancient power. Link quickly scanned the warrior’s body, promptly but calmly searching for something that might set you free.

“Aha!” Link found a small key, He dislodged it from the guard’s person and promptly ducked behind a wall where you and the guard could no longer see him. The guard at last unfroze, looked around in a dazed confusion, and then once more noticed the bananas. As the Yiga picked up the bunch, you saw Link silently making his way up the staircase toward your cell. 

He stuck the key in the only keyhole he could find and twisted it. At once, all the bars fell. Thinking quickly and being able to tell they must all be connected, you tried to grab them so they didn’t make a huge racket when they reached their lowest point. Unfortunately, you didn’t think quick enough, and ended up just grabbing Link’s tunic. The bars didn’t even make any noise when they landed.

“Uh, (m/n), I’m happy to see you too, but could you let go?”

“Sorry, I was trying to...ah, nevermind…” You said, embarrassedly letting go of Link. You changed the subject. “Where are we? And who are these guys?”

“The Yiga Clan. Enemies of the Sheikah and just bad guys in general. They really don’t like me, I guess. That’s...that’s why they must have captured you…” Link explained, ending with a despondent look toward the ground.

You tried to console him. “Ah, it’s alright. They were no match for you...Now, let’s go get that Gerudo relic.”

Instead of nodding and continuing on like you expected, Link actually pressed his lips together and stayed still. “About that...uhh…(m/n), this is tough for me to say, but…” You could tell how he was going to finish this sentence, and your heart sank. “Listen, I don’t know how I’d live with myself if anything happened to you. Not just now, but ever. Look, I...I care about you...it wouldn’t just be that I caused someone innocent to get hurt, it would be that I caused you, (m/n), to get hurt...You know me...I’d never forgive myself…”

Your heart filled, bittersweet. That Link would say something so sincere, that he really did care about you...well, it was something you didn’t know you needed to hear. The tragedy of the matter was that the current circumstances would cause Link to articulate these feelings, but the implications were evident.

Link continued. “This was too close. I don’t know when I’ll forgive myself for letting you get here. So...as much as I hate to say it...I don’t think we should travel together anymore.” A figurative arrow pierced your chest in this moment. You knew it was coming, but it still stung. You tried not to show too much disappointment on your face, because, frankly, you felt like sobbing. 

Link finished, sincere but deliberate. “I always knew it would be too dangerous. And now I really do care about you. I can’t in good faith keep you in harm’s way...I had so much fun traveling with you these past weeks. But for now I’m going to get you out of here the way I came and then we’re going back to Kakariko.” You didn’t feel like responding. You knew you had no way of talking Link out of this; the steadfast hero changed his mind rarely. He made entirely good points, too. You escaped death, thanks to Link. But you also encountered death, thanks to Link. You simply nodded and followed Link in silence out of the hideout.

Upon finally reaching an area with a clear view of the sky, Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate. Finally, a lump still occupying your throat, you managed to let out a few words. “So...are we just gonna walk back all the way to the village?”

Link looked back to you, somber. If he truly was melancholy, though, his voice betrayed none of it. “Oh, no, we’re gonna use the Slate to travel. I can pretty much teleport back to any shrine I’ve completed or tower I’ve climbed. I’ve tested it with animals, and if you’re holding on to me you should come along.”

You didn’t have the energy to react to what Link just said. Even the staggering level of technology developed by your ancestors wasn’t enough to lull you out of your gloomy state. You just replied with a simple “Oh, neat.” 

Link kind of just waited. “Uh, you have to be, like, really close.” You walked over and put your hand on his shoulder. Link hesitated, then said “Closer.”  _ Is he lying?  _ You suspected.  _ Whatever _ . You wrapped your arms around Link in a not-too-tight hug. As much as you felt terrible right now, this was nice.

“Good. Now, you’ll feel very tingly and then everything will go dark. Don’t worry, you’ll wake back up and we’ll be standing in this exact same position but in Kakariko Village.” You nodded in response. Link clicked one more button on his Sheikah Slate and the tingling feeling took over. It was a truly bizarre experience, cloaked in the equally bizarre circumstances you found yourself in. Then, darkness and loss of consciousness. Soon—although you had no way to judge the amount of time elapsed—you awoke at the foot of the shrine by Kakariko, just as Link had said. 

You were still hugging him, expecting him to tell you let go. But he didn’t, so you let go of your own accord. You took a few steps back away from the shrine and looked up at the knight. You finally found the strength. “So this is goodbye?”

Link’s indifferent expression cracked, and concern washed over him. “Um, I hope not. Not goodbye for good, at least. I’ll see you again. You’re...you’re a really good friend. My best friend right now, actually. You’ve been a real joy to travel with, and…” Link swallowed. “And you’re really funny, and caring, and intuitive, and I admire you.” Link said, not making eye contact. Your heart swelled once more. “I’ll see you again, soon. Just…” Link laughed a little.”I say this for myself, too...just know this is not the way I want things to be, but it’s the way they have to be.”

While you had the strength to respond, you weren’t sure how to. Too many emotions clogged your mind and you struggled to decide which one to articulate. You tried your best, anyway. “Link, thanks for bringing something so special into my life. I...I understand this is the way things have to be...I never thought I’d get to do such incredible things. I’ve always wanted to adventure, and you gave me that. I’m grateful for that. But I want you to know, too...that I’m grateful to have gotten to know you. I live alone in Kakariko. No parents. Some friends, yeah, but...life is slow, here. You made it fast, and along the way, I made a friend. No, I made a best friend. I learned who the stoic, courageous, valiant hero of our time really is. He’s really a passionate, fun-loving, thoughtful lover of life.” You finally looked up at Link. He was struggling to hold back tears.  _ Am I laying it on too heavy? _ You continued anyway. “I know it’s for the best, but I’ll miss you, Link.”

Link lurched forward and embraced you. You returned the gesture and the two of you stood there for just a moment. 

“You know where to find me if you need me, Chicken Hero.”

Link pulled back, a faint tear streak on his face. You could tell he didn’t feel like saying anything, so you finished the conversation on his behalf. “I guess I gotta get home. Hopefully nothing exciting happened while I was gone!” You said, winking. Your spirits were not as high as you were projecting, naturally, but it pained you to see Link so distraught. Your efforts weren’t in vain, at least, as Link finally lifted a small smile.

You backpedaled a bit, waving goodbye to the hero. He waved back and went to his Sheikah Slate as you finally turned your back. You heard the odd sounds of Link dematerializing as he teleported to another shrine. Once they ceased, you looked back to where you two had been standing, seeing empty space now. You finally dropped the phony smile and trudged back to your house.

Despite having been gone only a week or two, your home felt...much less like a home. Things were unfamiliar. Everything was as you left it, but nothing felt like it belonged—especially you.

You pulled back a chair by the table you and Link had your second conversation at. You thought about how that was how you regarded that table now.  _ I’ll get over this,  _ you thought. Placing your elbows on the table, you put your face in your hands and took a deep breath in.

The reality of your situation started to bear fully on you in this moment. You cursed Fate for having given you that life only to take it away. You cursed your luck for having gotten captured. You cursed yourself for...for a lot of things, but mostly for getting so attached to that lifestyle. That lifestyle, which you knew would be transient. You let yourself forget the gratitude that kept you humble with regard to it, and now its loss was waging consequences. 

For a few moments, you wondered if it would have been better to have never met Link at all. Maybe staying in that mode of yearning would have been better than this crash. Plus, now you were back to square one and you had to deal with this. And life was back to mundanity, and you were once more a faceless nobody, and this small little house in this small little town was incomparable to the world you knew for just some days. 

_ Oh, Link, I’d rather be in danger than here again... _ It was the truth, although you were willing to sacrifice that if it meant giving Link peace of mind. Link, Link, Link. You walked back your earlier thought. Link would hate to know that he was putting you through this. And it wasn’t his fault. But you still felt compelled to stay positive for his sake. You did have things to be positive about, after all. You got to meet Link, the hero! You made a friend. A really, really good friend. You crossed Hyrule, kind of. Lost in reminiscing, things seemed alright. You let yourself treasure your memories instead of letting them remind you of what once was. Smiling because it happened was the only way you were going to get through this, so, until you saw Link again, you had to keep your chin up. That’s what he would do, of course.

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh sorry this took me so long school is KICKING my butt rn and i lost inspiration this chapter....i rly hope ill be able to put the next one out in reasonable time. sorry this chapter is shorter than usual but i like it as it is. ty as always for reading !

Needless to say, easy days did not follow for you. You tried to regain a sense of normalcy in your village life. You had cleaning to do, which was miraculous considering no one should have touched your house while you were gone. Of course, you couldn’t recall how you had left it, so maybe you had just been too excited to make things tidy before leaving. 

On top of cleaning, you figured you’d head back to the stable to see Tasseren and try and distract yourself with one of the few things you enjoyed about this stagnant life. You missed the horses, too, after all. 

The decision to head there the day after you parted ways with Link was founded in an inexorable pit that refused to leave your stomach. It was hard to explain, like a ball of anxiety had wadded up inside of you, and you couldn’t shake it. You assumed it was a mix of shock accompanying the rapid switch of lifestyles and natural sadness at not travelling with Link anymore. Considering how you just wanted to avoid thinking about it, at this point, you were doing what you could to distract yourself. The stable would serve as a good distraction, hopefully.

It was getting a little annoying for you how you were associating things you had known for so long with Link, whom you had known for...not nearly as long. The path to Dueling Peaks Stable was beyond familiar to you; you could walk it facing backwards with no problem. That being said, despite having gone down the road hundreds of times, all you could think of was the one time you walked it with Link. It wasn’t even an eventful trip with him, yet you were so preoccupied that you couldn’t snap yourself out of it. Everything reminded you of him, and you started to wonder if you really would get over it. Maybe going to the stable, where you shared one of your first special moments with him wasn’t such a great idea. 

But you pushed through. You weren’t going to stop living your life—dull as it was—just because you were bummed out. Well, a little more than bummed out, but still. Link wouldn’t want that. You didn’t want that, frankly. If you had learned anything from Link, it was that pushing yourself and persevering when things were tough was something you owed yourself. It was always easier to give up, but if you were going to have a fulfilling life, you couldn’t afford to. 

You hadn’t thought getting so deep and lost in thought would be necessary to work up the simple motivation to go do something you enjoyed, but it got the job done anyway.  _ Chin up _ , you said to yourself throughout the day.

“Tasseren!” You called out as you approached the stable. He was behind his desk, as usual. 

To your dismay, Tasseren didn’t seem eager to return the jovial attitude you were attempting to portray. “What a privilege it is to see you, (m/n), my employee.” Tasseren said with a sarcastic smile.

_ Oh, right.  _ You remembered how you kind of abandoned your only responsibility when you went on that adventure. And you really thought you had struck gold when you got Ember to deliver that message, too! Time to face the music.

“Tass, listen, I really am sorry!”

He cut you off. “You have a responsibility, here, (m/n)! It’s not something you can just walk away from whenever you want. You’re lucky you ran into Ember, or I wouldn’t allow you back here, and I mean it!”

“Tass, I can explain—”

“I don’t want your excuses, (m/n).”

You were done getting talked over. To be honest, you didn’t really care if Tasseren was mad—it was worth it. “Well, they’re all I have, so just try and understand, please.” You gave a beat, expecting Tasseren to continue. To your surprise, he did not. “I got a chance to go do something I really wanted to. And I know it was irresponsible, but I just didn’t have a way of letting you know beforehand. I’m sorry to you for doing what I did, but I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I passed up the chance.” You said, not realizing how loudly you were talking.

Tasseren huffed. “I see. I’m sorry I lost my temper. Sometimes I forget how young you are, (m/n).”  _ Brutal _ . “But, please, don’t let this happen again. You’re very valued around here, even though I know you sometimes don’t feel like it.”  _ Again brutal, but also nice _ .

“It won’t, I can promise that. I don’t see many adventures in my future.”

Tasseren’s fatherly side came over him. “Oh, no? Why not? Don’t tell me this one ended poorly.”

It still stung to talk about, but you figured you owed it to Tasseren—and to yourself, for catharsis—to articulate some details. “So...this is gonna be a long story.” 

You spelled out as much as you cared to about your encounters with Link, starting with the cucco incident all the way through to his rescue of you from the Yiga Clan’s hideout. Although you were trying to keep it as concise as you could, both for Tasseren’s and your sake, you could feel yourself getting lost in storytelling. Recounting your travels with Link, treasuring those moments, it just made you too happy.

You finally finished your story. “And so he decided...well, we kind of decided together, that it would be for the best...with regard to my safety, that is...if I stopped travelling with him.” The last part was hard for you to get out, but the last thing you wanted was to break down now.

Tasseren just kind of stared at you, seemingly awestruck. “...That’s...kind of incredible, (m/n). What a journey! And you really helped the Hero of Hyrule!”

You lit up. “You think so?”

Tasseren nodded. “Judging by the way you described it, it sounds like you were meant to 

travel together. You often spoke about feeling drawn to something greater, to some...I don’t know, some adventure. Sounds to me like you found it.”

You hadn’t known it, but this validation, this confirmation was something you really needed to hear. You knew you felt a connection with Link and his quest. You knew the days you spent were special beyond that they were unusual—they were destined. That’s how it felt to you, and now you had an even stronger feeling that was how they felt to Link, too. And while your spirits were heightened by this sentiment, it didn’t change the fact that, destiny or not, they had come to an end. But at least you had this to hold on to.

“I did. It was a lot of fun,” was the only reply you could bring yourself to express. Tasseren just smiled and nodded once, seeming to understand. That all being said, the rest of the day passed as your normal days at the stable did. The horses were eager to see you again, so that was nice. 

Tasseren had needed to do a lot of the things you usually took care of while you were gone; you made sure to let him know you appreciated that, as it meant you could just do the normal tasks you occupied yourself with during a day at the stable. When all was said and done, it was, as usual, an unremarkable day. Peaceful, relaxing, and easy for sure, but you couldn’t help but continue longing for the excitement you knew.

You reached home before the sun set, still trying to distract yourself with what you could. It was dinnertime, after all. As luck would have it, though, distractions and dinner would have to wait. Waiting outside your front door, you noticed an inconspicuous, familiar brown pack that looked a little worse for wear. No doubt about it, it was yours. You knew instantly how it got there, too. Despite this, there was a note attached to the pack to clarify.

“ _ (m/n), _ ” it read. “ _ I realized only after the fact that you didn’t have this with you. I found it after searching the Yigas’ belongings. It was emptier than I remembered, so I figured I’d replace some of the things. I got rid of their leader pretty easily, so don’t worry—we’ve got our revenge. I’m writing this note outside your house right now. I guess you’re at the stable. I would’ve loved to see you, but I’ve got important things to do, you know? Not that seeing you isn’t important. You know what I mean. Anyway, giant ancient desert camels don’t appease themselves! I’ll see you soon, and hopefully in person. -Link (Chicken Hero) _ ” 

You laughed sadly at the note. You had entirely forgotten about your pack what with all the drama of the last day. It was good to know Link was still thinking about you, just as you were thinking about him. It bummed you out a bit that you missed a chance to see him, but you hypothesized your heart probably wouldn’t be able to take that. Not that you were mad at him, or that you didn’t want to see him, it just probably would have been too many conflicting feelings at once to deal with. You just tried to take solace in the fact that Link really did sound like he wanted to see you again.

-

You lost track of how many days it had been since returning. Things were getting better, at least. You thought of your adventures less. The stunning expanses of Hyrule, the landscapes that you had painted in your mind’s eye slowly subsided in prominence. The biggest issue now was how, as these things fled your mind, they left behind a vacancy. It’s not like you would forget how you felt, but you didn’t have anything to replace those memories with. The temporal separation facilitated these things becoming memories, too, as opposed to a real, tangible recollection of a life that was still within reach. 

The only thing you couldn’t rid your brain of was the thought of him. And you didn’t know why. Despite disappearing from your life, the influence he had over your every day thoughts grew. He was the first and last thing you thought of each day. At the beginning, you thought equally of your adventures, Link’s quest, and Link himself. Slowly the adventures became secondary, then Link’s quest fell away in your recountings, until you thought primarily of Link. You weren’t sure why. In the short time you’d gotten to know him, the two of you grew closer than you had realized. You had assumed at the time that it was merely a product of him having no one, still recuperating after having lost his memories. And it was true, whenever you said you admired him; he had admirable qualities. But that admiration was turning into infatuation. You weren’t sure if this infatuation had always existed or if it was forming due to your separation. Either way, it was very real and very consuming. Thinking of him got you through the days, even if some pain was quietly rekindled as you did.

One cold, calm night, you felt like writing him a letter. You didn’t have a way of delivering it, of course, and it wasn’t exactly a letter you wanted him to read, anyway. Getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper in this particular manner just felt necessary to you. The letter read:

“ _ Link. I’m sorry I haven’t seen you in so long. I miss you. I think about our adventure(s) a lot. I wish we had had more so that I could stop running out of things to remember. I know you’re busy. That’s what I keep telling myself each day you don’t magically reappear in my life. I’m scared. And I’m confused. Because I don’t know why I can’t let go. Our journey meant so much to me. It still does. I don’t have anything else like that in my life, and I don’t have anyone else like you in my life. And I want, so bad, to have someone like you in my life again. It’s so frustrating, you know? I have a good life here, but I can’t help but wish you’d never had to go.  _

_ You’re busy; I know that’s why you don’t just...come and say hi, or something, or anything. But part of me constantly wonders if you’re at all going through what I’m going through. I hope so. Not that I want you to feel this slow, churning pain, but because I’m scared I’m reacting to all this the wrong way. It’s a yearning I’ve always felt, the wish to be an adventurer. But it’s so much more poignant now that I’ve known the life and now that I’ve known you. If you weren’t who you are, I’m not sure I’d be so torn up over losing that life. No. I’m done lying to myself. I’m done putting off coming to terms with this. It is about you. I love adventuring but...I think I love you, more, Link. _ ” You took a pause, trying to get a grip on what you just wrote. You hadn’t noticed, but tears were starting to form in the corners of your eyes. It was true. You had been putting off saying that. Or, at least thinking it. You weren’t sure. You had known Link for only two weeks, and you had little idea what love even was—zero experience. But it was a fitting explanation for your thoughts the last week or so. Your worries that Link wasn’t going through anything comparable to what you were became ever scarier. If he wasn’t and you were actually pining over the hero who had completely forgotten you—you couldn’t bear the thought. And you knew it was practically impossible that Link even seldom thought of you; you knew you felt a connection, and he had to have felt it to. And that, or fear of it, or anxiety over it, or something, that’s what was keeping him away. That had to be the case, and you had to hope it was the case, or the alternative would eat at you from the inside out. 

You finished the letter. “ _ It's a really good thing you’ll never read this. It’s not for you anyway. This was for me. Well...that’s all. I hope we’re reunited soon. Maybe I can talk a bit of this out with you. Haha. Like I’ll ever have the confidence. _ ” You signed your name for no reason other than you wanted this artifact to stay in keeping with the letter aesthetic.

It was late. Birds had ceased chirping, fireflies dotted the landscape outside your window. You sighed, not content, but not distressed, either. Frankly, you just wanted to sleep. You folded the letter up and put it in your pack so that you could see it and...be reminded? You weren’t sure why, actually, but you knew you wanted it with you. As you rested your eyes on the close of an uneventful yet supremely eventful day, you lost yourself once more in your thoughts of the chicken hero. You smirked.


	8. Chapter 8

Another cold, crisp night graced the quaint valley in which your ancestors had nestled Kakariko Village. The occasional coo of a nocturnal bird mixed with a consistent, slow wind rustling foliage. The fireflies bided their time as you lay awake, unable to sleep tonight. Even more time had passed, but little had changed in your life. Nights were getting harder for you, though. Despite your best wishes that things would get easier, they didn’t. The pain of confusion subsided, slowly replaced by the pain of heartache. 

Heartache tugged at you tonight, forcing you awake. No rest could quell your mind, at least not this night. You had to clear your head somehow, so you decided to take a quick walk. It was chilly, but you thought that might snap you out of this. Either way, you weren’t falling asleep any time soon, so you may as well enjoy some fresh air.

You meandered about at first, your pace slow as you had nowhere to be. You took the time to look at fixtures you never appreciated. You’d always taken for granted the stagnancy of Kakariko Village, but its intricacies entailed a lot of moving parts that all came together to form the scenery you enjoyed every day. A steady hum of night ambience soothed you; water trickling, wildlife calling into the night air—it was like the village itself lived and breathed.

You knew where to head. Lately you had felt called to it—the shrine, that is. A couple folks had remarked to you that the shrine had suddenly changed color; you didn’t feel like letting on that you knew why. Any discussion of Link inevitably ended in you recounting how you two had decided to part ways, which was a memory you were tired of reliving.

As you trudged casually up the hill toward the shrine, your mind wandered as it often did. You recalled nights spent travelling with Link. The hero had a penchant for resting only when he needed to, which meant a lot of disregard for nighttime. Deliberately messing with your circadian rhythm was difficult at first, and you had only just started to get used to it when you returned to your normal diurnal lifestyle. 

The shrine towered before you, its blue, emanating glow drawing you in. For a moment, you felt like how you did when turning away from Link for the last time. He had stood on the podium so frankly...you just wanted to know if Link was enduring any of this like you were. 

You took a seat before the structure. Having had no reason to come but not really wanting to leave, you decided to just sit and wait. Who knows, maybe Link would appear, ancient blue particles returning your hero to you.

Of course, that didn’t happen. But something extraordinary still did. As you were sat there, not really thinking about anything, the air that had been blowing your hair around at once ceased. The enveloping white noise which had clogged your ears stopped as well, leaving the air around starkly empty. It was as if the world had, all of a sudden, stopped turning, leaving just you and this shrine still in motion.

You looked around, doubting your senses. Perhaps you were just tired.  _ Yeah, this is just a sleep deprivation-induced breakdown of my perception. I should probably head home _ .

You stood to leave, when a breathy, ethereal voice called you back. “...(m/n)...” You hesitated, furrowing your eyebrows at the shrine. “...(m/n)...” It called again, more clearly this time.

_ Okay! Freaky! What is happening? _ You didn’t dare say anything out loud. You weren’t sure who...or what was talking to you, or if this was just a hallucination.

You were intrigued, however, and thought that little harm could come if you responded, so respond you did. “H-....Hello?”

“...(m/n)...” Again the voice spoke clearer.

“...Yeah, that’s me...uhh, who...who’s there?”  _ Genius. _

“...(m/n)...you are needed…”

You were starting to come to terms with the fact that a voice of unknown origin was now making abstract decrees. “Well, that’s really nice to hear, actually...but, what do you mean? And who are you?”

“...(m/n)...I am the wind in the trees...I am the birds singing in the morning...I am water passing through a creek, and I am the land, sky, and ocean...”

_ What? _ “Oh...well, it’s nice to meet you.”  _ Always the apt conversationalist I am. _

“...(m/n)...you are needed...your destiny is at hand…”

“M-...my destiny?”

“...Wait here, (m/n). I will be watching over you.”

As the voice concluded, you could feel the air move once more. The swirling wind returned, and the world began to rotate once again. 

You took a seat, rubbing your temples and trying to understand what just happened. A lesser person may have broken down in existential dread at the idea of being contacted by an otherworldly, omnipotent being. But forays into existentiality were your specialty, so you were more focused on the message.  _ Wait here?  _ You thought.  _ What for? _ To be honest, you thought you had a pretty good clue what that voice wanted you to wait for—you know, assuming that voice wasn’t just your imagination. But you were trying not to get your hopes up. That voice proclaiming you had a destiny to fulfill could be meaning anything. Oh, who were you kidding? 

You had to slow yourself down. This was the most exciting thing to happen to you in weeks, granted, but you knew the potential of setting expectations that didn’t end up met. For the time being, you guessed you could do nothing but wait. It wasn’t like you had anything better to do; you weren’t going to the stables tomorrow...or, rather, since it was already tomorrow, when the sun came up. Anyway, that you didn’t need sleep was the point. So you plopped yourself beside the shrine, assuming this was the place you were meant to wait. Waiting came easily, and when it felt like you had something to look forward to, it was a little easier to pass the time. 

Slowly though, the soothing glow of the shrine coupled with the calming atmosphere of night lulled your nerves down. Despite the excitement you couldn’t help but indulge in, you did need to rest. And the grass beside the shrine was surprisingly comfortable. Your stomach churned in anxiety that you couldn’t seem to assuage, but your eyelids refused to lessen their weight. Just before the sun cast its first rays over the horizon, your eyes shut one last time, sleep enveloping you in a blissful unconsciousness. You slept deeply, your body desperately needing the rest. 

You dreamt. Of clouds, of streams of water, of animals running through the hillside, you dreamt. 

-

“...(m/n)...(m/n)! Wake up!”

As you slowly regained control of your faculties, you heard a familiar voice calling your name. You forced your eyes open, starting to realize what was happening.

“(m/n)! I’m so happy to see you!”

Your eyes finally revealed a hazy figure as none other than Link squatting beside you. Of course. You could hardly believe it. In fact, you couldn’t really believe it, and you just kind of looked at Link for a few moments before finally accepting that, yes, you really were in his presence once again. Your happiness overflowed.

“Link!” You shot forward, wrapping your arms around him. Link lost his balance and fell backwards. That was a little more than you intended, but you didn’t care. Your heart couldn’t bear to be away from Link just a moment longer. Coming on too strong was the least of your worries right now.

But you did have to free him at some point, so, before it got awkward, you rolled off of him and helped the two of you up.

“Sorry! I’m...I was excited to see you, too.”

Link, who had been laughing through the whole ordeal, caught the breath that had been slightly knocked out of him. “(m/n), that was quite the greeting! I hope you didn’t miss me too much.”

You blushed profusely, at once realizing you now concealed a substantial secret from Link, one that sharply characterized your relationship with him. You tried your very hardest to act natural.

“Psshh, what? Me? Miss you? Preposterous?” You gave a small pause as Link raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Of course I missed you, you knucklehead! It’s been weeks!”

Link let out one more little laugh as his face adopted a sadder look. “Yeah, I know. I meant to visit sooner, but-” 

You cut him off. “But you were busy, trust me, I understand. I’m happy you’ve come back to visit at all.” As much as being away from Link had torn you to shreds, you didn’t want to make your first moments reunited disappointing.

“Y-yeah, that’s...that’s pretty much it...Again, I’m sorry for not keeping in touch. How have you been?”

How had you been? That was an inadvertently loaded question whose true answer you decided to spare Link from. “I’ve been...hanging around, you know...living the slow life.”

“I can imagine.”

“So...anything specific bring you to our lowly village hero? That is, besides my illustrious self?” You teased. 

Link smirked, thought about the answer, and then looked as he did when he was caught without a plan. “Uh...no, I suppose. I may be busy, but even a hero needs a break.”

_ Ah, so I’m just a break, then. _ You tried not to let yourself harbor any hostilities. You knew Link meant no harm. “If it’s a lack of excitement you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. Here, come back to my place and we can catch up.”

Link smiled and started walking alongside you as you both made your way toward the place you first met. For fear of him asking more into what you’d been up to—which was nothing—you decided to instead learn what you had missed out on.

“So, hero, how much progress have you made on that whole saving the world thing?”

“More than you think, probably.”

“You quelled the giant desert camel?”

“And then some. Quelled a giant volcano lizard as well. I’m working on quelling a giant sky bird...I guess all birds are sky birds...well, no, some are ground birds...sorry, what was I saying?”

_ Oh my Goddess I missed this _ . “You’ve rid three of four divine beasts of Ganon’s control. You have one left.”

“You remember more about my adventure than I do!”  _ How could I not? _ “Yeah, one more. And then, I guess...oh, wait, no, I still need to recapture more memories. I have found quite a few more though. I think I’m starting to piece together what exactly happened...and what led up to it, too.”

“Oh, nice. You feel more like the Link of 100 years ago, then?”

Link thought for a moment. “I wouldn’t put it like that. I still don’t really know who he was. Er, who I was, I guess. I mean, they’re my memories, and I’m the same person, but...I don’t know...I’m not sure what I’m supposed to feel.”

“Hey, there’s no rules for this thing. If it’s not as grand as you imagine, that’s not a bad thing. You just be yourself and the rest will follow.”

“Gee, you always know what to say.”

You beamed. “I try.”

You reached your house and invited Link inside. The conversation continued, with Link relaying the many stories he had accrued during his solo travels. The two of you relished in the hours spent together, laughing, conversing, and simply appreciating the company. Everything just felt so right around Link. The aftereffects of weeks of emotional turmoil still weighed on you significantly, but at least you had the most distinguished of distractions.

You were proud of yourself for how well you had been managing to subdue the racing of your heart. You weren’t the lovestruck type, and although you had a secret, the facade you put up that nothing had changed was convincing. Plus, you didn’t want to make things awkward. What you had already with Link was nice, and you enjoyed being his friend...likely his only friend, too...at least, outside of his quest.

“So, the last Divine Beast is a bird?” You said after a prominent but not awkward lull in the conversation.

“Yep. In Rito Village is what I’ve been told. It’s north of the desert.”

“I see. Hopefully it treats you better than the desert.” You said, the mention of the desert bringing back the pain of leaving.

“...Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up...hey, I just gotta ask you...I don’t mean to pry, but have you been alright?”

You balked. “What, of course, what do you mean?”

Link looked at you a little harder. “(m/n), you know what I mean. Really, have you been alright? I know we kind of parted ways all of a sudden, and I was really scared it was gonna hurt you more than protect you. If you haven’t been doing well, I want to know.”

_ What do I say, what do I say, what do I say? Frankly, Link, I’ve been doing awfully! Life is a drag here, I’m going through an emotional and physical crash that never seems to end, and I think I’ve fallen in love with you! That’s the truth. But would I ever say that? Are you kidding? Not only is now definitely not the time, but it would kill me if Link thought he was responsible for this. Oh, Goddess, he’s still looking at me like that. I guess I really should say something. Okay, I’ll just open my mouth and hope what comes out is fine! _

“...Um...I...okay...I won’t lie, Link. It kind of hit me hard. The weeks I spent with you were the most fun I’ve had in my life. I feel so called to be out adventuring instead of stuffed up in this boring old village...I know you wanted to protect me, and I really appreciate it. There was no other way, you were right...But it still hurts, you know?” You laughed a little. “It still hurts, but it’s more than just that I miss adventuring, Link.”  _ Wait! What am I saying? No, no, no, you’re not saying this now. Nope. Uh uh.  _

You had paused for a bit now. “What’s more than just that?” Link didn’t want to be left on a cliffhanger.

“It’s...it’s…” You were blushing uncontrollably at this point. You made the dangerous mistake of looking at Link’s face. His crystal blue eyes instantly met yours, reflecting a comforting, concerned tone. He really cared about you. You could tell. Wow, it felt good to be cared about. You had to say something. “It’s...I miss you, too, Link. Because...you’re...like...my only friend.”  _ Genius! Friendzone yourself! _ “That’s...really embarrassing to say out loud...and, I guess, not totally true...but what I mean is...I’ve never had a friend like you Link. And I know we only knew each other for a couple weeks or so…” You were starting to regret being so gushy. What if you were just weirding Link out?

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I get it. You’re my only friend, too. Of course, all my friends from the first eighteen years of my life are spirits or trapped in a castle...or dead and I don’t remember them...sorry, that was dark...and I don’t mean to imply that you should have an advantage in the friend department...sorry, I kind of screwed this up.”

You were laughing. “You’re good.”

Link smiled and took a deep breath. “What I meant to say was that I missed you, too. It was a lot of fun having you along, and travelling alone is way more boring. And you’re a good friend, too, not just a good adventurer. I’m sorry we had to say goodbye. But I’m glad we’re able to keep in touch.”

You were content with the reply, although it’s not exactly what you had hoped for. It seemed like Link had taken everything in stride. He was anything but disingenuous, of course; he had just handled it better than you had. Then again, he wasn’t trapped in a town that never changed. And he had much less time to think of romance, that was certain. Yeah, you just had to hold on to hope. 

“Yeah. Me too. Although I wish you stopped by more.” You felt you had the right to be pushy.

“Listen, you know I got things to do.”

“Oh, yeah? Zelda’s waited 100 years, and you can’t spare a day? An hour?”

“Have I hit a nerve?” Link questioned playfully.

“Oh, please. I’m just saying it’d be considerate to at least say hi after making me a part of your life for two weeks.”  _ Ooh. Maybe that was too much. _

You knew it was too much from Link’s saddened face. “Hey, I said I was sorry. Look...okay, I didn’t want to say it, but I didn’t visit because I...well, I had a feeling you would be taking it kind of hard, and I didn’t want to remind you of anything. I thought I would, you know...be fanning the flames. But I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry for that.”

_ He really was thinking of me...maybe not in the way I had hoped, but he was.  _ “That’s...really thoughtful of you. Seriously, thanks for thinking of me. I think you’re partly right...but what’s done is done...so, you mentioned earlier you were only stopping by as a break. Why did you change your mind all of a sudden? You know, about not wanting to fan the flames?”

That familiar face gripped Link once more, as his thorough but slightly slow mind tried to recall or perhaps fabricate reason. “Uh...I just thought...it had been long enough. That you had probably had time to recover. And I really wanted to see you, so there was that. And...I’ll be honest...and I’m not sure why, but I kind of just felt called here today. I don’t know what it is, I just woke up and felt like I needed to be here today.”

_ Ding ding ding! The voice of fate! That’s what called you Link! Just as it told me to wait for you! Destiny is real! I have one! I knew it! Oh, shoot, better say something. _ “I understand. Sometimes you just can’t stay away.”

Link smirked. “Naturally.”

“In all honesty, I know what you mean. I felt called here today, too. Well, I’m here every day, but I knew today would be special.”

“Interesting.”

“Yeah, like it’s destiny.”

Link rolled his eyes, not condescendingly. “Don’t get me started on destiny.”

“Sorry, how could I forget? ...But it is…”

“I’d believe it.”

“Then just take me back.” You...hadn’t really meant to say that.

“...What?” Link laughed a little as he said that.

You stared at the ground. “That...came out wrong.” You sighed. “I know...I know it’s dangerous out there. And I know you really care about me, Link, but...I want you to know I’d rather be in danger than stay here, without you, anymore.”

“(m/n), I…” Link just didn’t know how to respond. But he tried his best. “I know. I wish you could come, to. But the amount of danger I see, when I see it now, it reminds me of how many risks we took. How, if we hadn’t gotten so lucky, it would’ve...you would’ve...I can’t even think about it, it makes me sick. I can’t take those risks again.”

But you could not give up. “Lighten up! Link! I have one life! I hate it here! Okay, I don’t hate it, but I hate knowing there’s a life I’m meant to be living out there and I don’t get to because it’s a little dangerous. I want to adventure! I want to be with you! And if I get hurt, so be it! I need you to know that if I come along and something happens, it’s not your fault. We’ve fully established what you want and what I want, so none of the burden would lie on you.”

Link wasn’t looking at you. You spoke passionately and were afraid you were coming off as aggressive, but you had a feeling Link understood.

“...It’s more than a little dangerous, (m/n)...but...Rito Village probably isn’t that bad...and...I hate to see you so torn up over this...you make good points...okay. You’re right.”

_ Yes, yes, yes! Oh, thank the Goddesses.  _ “So I can come?” Link nodded. “Oh, thank you, Link!”

“But you have to, and I mean without exception  _ have to _ be careful. Don’t leave my side.”

_ Link, I would stay by your side forever if I could _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapters will continue to be spaced out thanks to school
> 
> i forgot to use Goddess instead of God before this chapter. oops. maybe ill fix that someday.


	9. Chapter 9

“It’s settled, then.”

“Yay! You won’t regret this Link, I promise!”

“I sure hope so.”

You cocked your head to one side. “You don’t sound nearly as excited as I do.”

Link let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “No, I am. Really. I’m honestly trying not to let myself get too excited because...I’m still really nervous. I don’t...I’m not trying to scare you, but...the days after you left, I was feeling really guilty. Not only because I had put you in life-threatening danger, but because it was my fault that you had to leave. I don’t want to mess up like that again.”

You swallowed. “Link...it’s okay...you’re really thoughtful. That’s...all I can ask for. It wasn’t your fault. It was no one’s fault. Things will be better this time, I know it. You’re stronger in so many ways, I can already tell.”

“You’re always so confident. How do you do it?”

The question kind of caught you off guard. “Uhh...well...because I do know. I do know things will be better this time. I just do. Look.” You put your hand on Link’s shoulder and continued, “I know you hate the whole destiny thing, and I say that because that’s not what I’m trying to get at. What I mean is that...I’ve never been more sure. And I have reasons, but partly I’m just sure because I am. I know that’s hard to believe in, but before you can believe in anything else, you have to believe in yourself. And I believe in us. I believe in you.”

“Gee…”

“And I’m never wrong!” You quipped, removing your hand.

Link rolled his eyes and smiled. “Of course, how could I forget?” The two of you shared a laugh before Link said, “Really, thanks, though. Your emotional support makes you an asset to my quest...oh, and you’re good for other things, I guess.”

You rolled your eyes right back, recognizing Link’s sarcasm. Boy, was it good to be talking to him again.

“Well...are you ready?” Link questioned.

That question snuck up on you. You realized it shouldn’t have, though, considering Link’s eagerness. It was an easy question to answer, too. “You betcha!”

“Great! To Rito Village.” Link started to pull out his Sheikah Slate. 

The responsible part of you called out, practically begging you to actually think for half a second about what you might need to do before another weeks-long escapade.  _ Tasseren! _

“Uhh, hold on a second, Link. Could we actually, uhh, stop by Dueling Peaks Stable? I just kind of left last time and Tass was kind of miffed. I know it’s a ways away, and you’re...we’re busy, but I can’t just leave without letting him know again.” You didn’t want to start the trip wasting time, especially since you could tell Link still wasn’t totally thrilled at the idea of you tagging along again.

Link tilted his head to the side, a bit puzzled. “Yeah, sure. It’ll take, like, five minutes, right? We can just travel there with the shrine.” He said, holding up the map on his Sheikah Slate. 

You blushed out of embarrassment while silently breathing a sigh of relief. You had entirely forgotten about the whole teleportation thing. You had only used it once while travelling with him to...take you back home...It probably would’ve been a good memory, being so close to Link, if it weren’t cloaked in such sad implications.

You tried to perk back up. “Oh, right! Duh! Yeah, it’ll be quick.” You grabbed your pack, not stopping to think if you could pack anything more that might be useful and walked over to Link, who was prepared to transcend space-time.

“C’mon get close. You remember this, right?”

Your heart started doing backflips.  _ Right! Okay! Don’t make it awkward! _ “O-of course! I do…” You wrapped your arms around Link, feeling how warm he was. You felt that feeling of wanting the current moment to last forever. Your fears of having embarrassed yourself subsided as you just tried to cherish the immediacy of being so close to him. Fortunately for you, Link was preoccupied selecting the correct shrine to really notice.

“Remember to hold still. This worked last time, though, so there shouldn’t be problems.”

You nodded, not really listening. Once Linked click the last button, though, you could feel your body start tingling. It reminded you of the last time, and you were beyond grateful the mood surrounding your betrayal of all known laws of physics was the polar opposite of last time. The tingling began to fade away alongside your consciousness. Frankly, it was terrifying—but you trusted Link. 

You regained awareness, feeling returning first to your head, then to your torso, next to your limbs, and finally to your extremities. You focused, just trying to get a grip on the unique experience. And get a grip you did, literally.

“Okay…(m/n)...you’re kind of...erg, crushing me.” Your embrace of Link had tightened to the point of discomfort for him, and you let go as immediately as you could.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Link. I was just...uh, maybe the slate rearranged our particles closer together.”

Link smirked. “I’m sure. Don’t waste any time, go do what you need to.”

“Right!” You hurried off, keen on following any and all of Link’s orders.

Your conversation with Tasseren was as short as it needed to be. He wasn’t exactly excited to hear that you were leaving again, but he was appreciative that you bothered to let him know this time. Silently you suspected that your excitement—which you could not invisibly contain—reminded Tasseren of his younger days. He’d often relay to you stories of his travels across Hyrule. You’d be lying if you said his stories hadn’t partly engendered your own desires to travel. 

“Cheers to you, then, Tasseren!”

“Goodbye, (m/n)! Have a fruitful journey.”

You waved goodbye, went around to say hi and goodbye to the horses, and rushed back to Link. When you returned, Link was, to your surprise, picking flowers. He looked at you and rose from his squat.

“Please, don’t let me interrupt.”

Link walked over to you, eyes trained on the Sheikah Slate he just unsheathed. “Flowers happen to have quite useful effects when cooked, mind you.” 

“Enjoy your salad, I suppose.” Link rolled his eyes and you stuck your tongue out. 

“Alright, get close. We’ll go to Tabantha Tower and paraglide down.”

“Ooh, I forgot about the glider!”

Link caught himself, continuing, “...On second thought, I know we paraglided together before, but it really isn’t-”

You had to interrupt him. “We’ll be fine. There’s a difference between being safe and being paranoid.” You said, embracing Link again. Your heart went as crazy as last time, and you doubted you would ever be able to be close to Link without feeling this way again. 

“Should I...try not holding on so close this time?” Naturally, Link’s answer to this question meant more to you than just its immediate meaning.

“Um...ehh, you’re fine. No harm in it. Just pay attention when we’re rematerializing and try not to suffocate me.”

“Can do, buckaroo.”  _ Buckaroo? Why did I say that? _

Link smiled—humoring you, you suspected—and cast the two of you off to Tabantha Tower.

You were much more ready for the transportation this time, and you stopped yourself before you started to grasp Link any tighter. When your consciousness returned. you were atop a massive tower.

“Oh, my Goddess! Look at this view!” You took it all in as Link smiled, happy to give you the experience. Miles of landscape, expansive and skeletal in form, surrounded you. A harrowing canyon scarred the land, periodic mountains dotted the fields, and if you looked north, what you assumed to be Rito Village met your gaze. Just after that caught your eye, the fourth divine beast, tranquil and imposing, demanded your attention. Something about the way it just hovered there unsettled you; you couldn’t put your finger on it, but you felt compelled to avert your eyes.

“I’m glad you appreciate it. Climbing these things isn’t easy.”

“It is your j-job, you know.”

“It’s your job, too, now. Don’t forget.”

“But w-why should I b-b-bother when I can j-... _ ACHOO _ ...just teleport up here with you…” You were shivering. You hadn’t noticed at first, but it was quite chilly at such a high altitude.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be freezing! I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about it.” Link was looking around, very apparent in how distraught he was.

“It’s r-r-r-really not that bad.” You lied through your chattering teeth. Link could clearly see through it, of course.

“Quiet. Uhh...oh, I got it. Here, take this.” Link reached his hands to the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head, leaving him bare-chested.  _ Oh. Oh. Oh my.  _ You instantly forgot about the piercing cold as you got lost in Link’s toned (but not too toned) chest. Link tossed the shirt he had just removed over to you as he looked around for another shirt. You barely had the reflexes to catch it.

“That doublet is insulated. It should keep you protected from any temperatures we encounter from here on out.” You stared at the shirt. You hadn’t paid much attention when Link returned to the fact that he wasn’t wearing the blue tunic he typically sported. You guessed your current environment was the reason why. Speaking of that blue tunic, before you could get one more good look at him, Link was already adorned with it once more.  _ Where does he keep all this stuff? _

“C’mon, put it on and we’ll glide down.” You got right to it, instantly noting that the doublet was warm from its previous wearer and from its construction. You gave Link a look he recognized. “Don’t worry about me, they’ve gotta have warm clothes for sale in Rito Village. Now let’s-... _ ACHOO _ ...get down soon.”

Link brought out his paraglider, hunched over, and you hopped on his back. You remembered this drill.

“Hold on!” Link managed a running start and directed the two of you toward the towering eye of Rito Village. You did as instructed, taking in the intensity of your situation. The anxieties that had endlessly plagued you melted away.  _ This is where I’m supposed to be. _

-

By the time you two reached the entrance to Rito Village, the sun had set. Link had been in more of a hurry than you remembered, and you suspected it was based partly on a desire to be somewhere safe during nighttime—you didn’t want to press, though. Whatever was going on in his head, it didn’t change the fact that your lack of sleep from the night before was wearing on you. You were hoping for a chance to rest and you fortunately received it at the Rito Village inn. Link, who just never seemed tired, was content to explore some more while you got your much needed sleep.

“And for just a small price increase, you may partake in a night’s rest on one of our staple Rito-down beds. I promise, should you sleep a night on this bed-”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“But, sir, the Rito-down bed is-”

You had to interrupt again. “Sorry. I’m very tired. I’m sure your beds are nice. Please just let me pay you the normal amount for a normal bed.”

The innkeeper pursed their beak. “As you wish. 20 rupees, please.” The innkeeper reached out a feathered hand.

_ Right, capitalism _ . You rummaged around in your pack for some cash, finding it despite the unnecessary pressure of the situation. “There,” you said, handing it over. trying to ensure your tone didn’t come off sour thanks to your sleep deprivation.

The Rito accepted the payment and indicated toward a bed. “Your unoccupied,  _ normal _ bed waits for you there.”

“Appreciated.” You said, wholly not in the mood for passive-aggressiveness. Link had been observing the whole conversation, entertained by the subtle spat. As you took a seat on the edge of the bed, Link, looking taller than usual, walked over to you.

You yawned. “Wake me when the sun rises, please. I don’t exactly trust anyone else here—including myself—to do that.”

“Sure thing. I hope you won’t be so tired the rest of our journey.”

“Oh, I won’t. I gotta get used to it again, though.” To be honest, hearing Link even refer to there being a “rest of the journey” elated you. You didn’t want to anticipate the length of the journey should you have overestimated it, so you tried to be as in the moment as possible. Even still, the idea of being with Link for an extended time, and having him think about it as well...it was nice.

“That makes sense. And I’m sure you will...anyway, I have some shopping to do. It’s cold here.”

“I can’t wait to see the new fit!” You actually were excited.

Link let out a small laugh. He was excited for new clothes, too, though he was not about to admit it. “Good night, then.” Link turned around.

“What, no good night kiss?” Link stopped. You wore a playful, sarcastic expression, although on the inside you were questioning your sanity and life decisions up to that point. Link turned back around.

He walked back, your expression frozen in your face. Link put his face right in front of yours, both eyes wide open. An inch away from each other you were, with your heart beating louder and faster at each pump. Time slowed down, with neither of you breaking eye contact. Finally, after what felt like hours, Link broke the way-too-intimate silence.

“I kind of thought you’d chicken out first.” Link didn’t back away.

As he finished his sentence, you turned away sharply and let out a breath you hadn’t known you were holding. “Well you thought correctly!”

Link chuckled. 

“...Surprising, considering you’re the chicken hero.”

Link groaned. “Don’t be too proud of yourself. Maybe I actually will kiss you if you drop that nickname for me.”

_ Are we flirting? Wait, was that all flirting? Wait, what just happened? _ “You drive a hard bargain. I’ll have to sleep on it.”

Link smiled and shook his head. “Sweet dreams.”

“Good night for real.” You fell back on to the bed, staring at the roof of the Swallow’s Roost. Boy, were you tired. But you had some things to mull over.

Eventually, your excitement from the day faded into your subconscious. A thick blanket of sleep engulfed you, and you dreamt that night of two migrating birds. 

-

Birds seemed to be a big part of your life right now, as their chirps woke you the next morning. The sun had risen, bathing Rito Village in an illuminating sheen. The settlement resonated with the morning.  _ Where is he? _ You distinctly remembered asking Link to wake you up. It was unlike him to forget that, especially considering he couldn’t have had that much going on last night.

You sat up in your temporary, very affordable bed.  _ What? Why’s he here? _ Link, curled up in slumber at the foot of your bed, rested before you. This was the most peaceful you’d ever seen him. His face was calm, like he resided now in the one place his constant anxieties could not reach him. You wished he could be this relaxed forever. How difficult it must be to be the hero. The chosen one. The world on your shoulders, everyone counting on you. And having no choice in the matter. You started to think you might understand why Link was so fed up with the idea of destiny. The urge to protect him, to let him know that everything would be okay, that he is more than just a character in a storybook—that urge drove you.

None of this explained the question of why Link was sleeping on the ground in front of your bed, though. Well, it explained why he hadn’t woken you up. But what was he doing? Had he been watching you? 

“Did he pay you to sleep here?” You directed a question toward the innkeeper, who sat reading, mild and passive.

“No.”

“So you can just sleep on the floor here for free?”

“Well, yes. Of course.”

“But you know you could char-...nevermind.” The innkeeper went back to reading. You hoped your future interactions with them would be limited—you had a feeling they were getting frustrated with you.

If Link wasn’t going to wake you up, you guessed you could do the favor instead. Part of you wanted so badly to prank him in some awful way, but, seeing him so calm like this, you couldn’t bring yourself to. 

Hoisting yourself out of bed, you stood and stretched as high as you could. It was the most satisfying stretch you had had in weeks. After indulging, you squatted beside Link.

“Hey...chicken hero...up and at ‘em…” you said, jostling Link lightly by the shoulder. He let out a small groan, as the stress returned to his face. It really was constant, wasn’t it?

“No...no...what time is it?”

“The sun is up.”

Link opened his eyes, finally. You met his gaze, happy to be the first thing he saw today. You continued, “What are you doing down here, sleepyhead?”

Link sat up now, blinking heavily. You hadn’t realized he could be such a deep sleeper, considering how alert he tried to keep himself. He didn’t get many opportunities to relax, you gleaned.

Link replied, “I...got tired...really tired...and went to come find you, to try and stay up until sunrise—” he paused for a deep yawn “—to wake you up. Sorry I didn’t do that, by the way.”

You smiled. “You’re good.”

“On the bright side, I’m all rested now.” Link popped up, immediately at attention. “Got a lotta work to do.”

You stood up beside the hero. You noticed now his new outfit. It looked like traditional Rito garb, adorned with feathers and intricate weavings—perfect for the climate.  _ Gee, he wears that well. Who am I kidding, he wears everything well. Everything. _ “What do we have planned for today?”

Link put on his thinking face, apparently recollecting the progress he made the day before. “I have some shrines to take care of. And after that I’ll be headed to a place called the Flight Range. I’ll need the help of one of the Rito to board that Divine Beast, and it looks like my best shot is cooped up...haha, cooped...anyway, he’s at the Flight Range.”

“Wow, look at you. You’ve come a long way, got this whole thing down to a T.”

“I should hope so. It’s the last one. Can’t mess up now.”

“I’m sure an ancient floating possibly sentient machine is no match for you, chicken hero.”

“Don’t.”

You ignored him. “It’ll be out of Ganon’s control in moments...so...uhh...what should I do?”

“Yeah, umm...this is all really dangerous...and kind of a one person job.”

“There’s gotta be something.”

“Well...I guess...you’re a good chef, right? How are you with seafood? Specifically salmon meunière?” Link said, tearing apart the poor syllables of the exotic word.

“Not exactly what I had in mind, but if it’ll help you, I can try.”

“Really? Awesome! You’re the best, (m/n).” 

“Oh, wow, you really mean that?” You were surprised at how unfamiliar you were with compliments that felt so appreciative.

Link seemed surprised that would ask that, too. “Of course I mean that. It’s true. You’re the best.  _ The _ best.”

You blushed, trying to hide it. “Okay, I don’t think even  _ I _ would go that far. But thanks.”

Link winked in response, then spoke. “The food’s for a little Rito girl, Genli. She’s probably still by the pot you could use to cook it. Convenient, right?

“I guess?...Wait, I don’t know how to make salmon meunière! And where am I gonna find salmon?”

Link was already headed off, eager to be rid of this problem. “It’s all part of the adventure, (m/n)!”

You were going to protest, but decided against it. After your realization this morning, helping Link gained a new meaning to you. Anything to alleviate his stress, you were willing to do. Plus, you wanted to let him know you were there for him, as emotional support or as an impromptu chef. 


End file.
